2024 NFL Draft Profile: Cedric Johnson, DE/EDGE, Mississippi

Pros:

Flashes nimble feet to chase running backs and mobile quarterbacks to the sideline when lined up at end. Spins off blocks to get back into the play.

Fast in a straight line. Excellent wide and .bull rushes when he’s first off the snap.

Made Bruce Feldman’s Freak’s List – ranked #41. He wrote “At 6-3, 270, he has just 11.3 percent body fat, and he vertical-jumped 36.5 inches, broad-jumped 10 feet and bench pressed 390 pounds. This offseason, he topped over 20 mph on the GPS and did six pull-ups with a 70-pound belt attachment.”

Johnson can also win going speed-to-power, with the leg drive to push blockers back.

He has a lethal spin move and the pure speed to close quickly.

He shows good quickness off the line of scrimmage and flashes the violent hands to win around the edge.

Johnson has an explosive first step and converts that short-area speed into power, a capable bull rusher.

Cons:

He’s very much a work in progress with his hand in the dirt. Johnson doesn’t play with ideal physicality, often failing to set the edge as a run defender.

While Johnson has violent hands, he uses them too inconsistently. He tends to let blockers get into his chest, and he’ll waste time hand fighting due to a limited array of pass rush moves.

Johnson has to develop a counter move or two in the pass rush, and he needs to make better use of his hands.

Summary:

In 2023 as a senior Johnson logged playing time in 12 games and logged a total of 526 snaps for the Rebels. He also added 26 tackles, 5 assists, and 19 stops. While in coverage Johnson made 2 pass breakups, no interceptions, and QB rating when targetted of 91.7. As a pass rusher, he tallied 34 total pressures, which included 26 QB hurries, 4 QB hits, and 4 sacks on the season.

Information in this article first appeared on NFL Draft Buzz and is used with permission. Find the latest coverage, analysis, and player rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft at nfldraftbuzz.com