Name: Paris Johnson Jr.
School: Ohio State
Year: Jr
Position: Offensive Tackle
Measurables: 6’6”, 313 lbs.
Combine: Bench- 29 reps, Broad- 9’2”, expected to complete other drills at pro day

General Info:

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Johnson was a consensus five-star recruit coming out of Princeton High School. He committed to Ohio State and played in five games as a freshman in 2020.

Johnson started every game for the Buckeyes at right guard in 2021, before transitioning to left tackle in 2022. He was named a consensus All-American at the end of his junior year.

Off the field, Johnson established a charitable foundation back in high school which has raised money for groups such as veterans and the homeless.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

Johnson possesses excellent size for the offensive tackle position, standing at an even 6’6” and weighing 313lbs. His arms measured in at more than 36” at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Along with his physical stature, Johnson shows ideal athleticism on tape. He is comfortable on the move and can stay latched onto defenders when moving laterally.

In pass protection, Johnson’s smooth feet allow him to mirror rushers and quickly redirect to pick up a new assignment. He has the strength to dig his heels in versus power rushers as well.

Johnson displays powerful hands and is capable of stunning defenders with his initial strike. He can recover from a poor start by steering rushers away from his quarterback.

In the run game, Johnson showed the ability to open holes both on his own and in combination blocks. He has an ideal temperament for run blocking, playing with a ‘finisher’ mentality, and garnering his fair share of pancake blocks without being over-aggressive.

His experience at guard provides versatility to the team drafting him, and Johnson’s strong academic performance indicates he will have no problem making the mental leap to the NFL level.

Weaknesses

While Johnson displays all the tools to be a long-term successful NFL left tackle, there are inconsistencies to his game, which should not be surprising given he has only started for one season.

He can be found guilty of under-setting in pass protection and allowing rushers to beat him to the edge. So far, Johnson has been able to rescue these situations with his athleticism and long arms, but NFL edge rushers will not be so forgiving.

Although generally he showed a strong anchor, there are instances where Johnson can be put on his heels by the bull rush and give up too much ground. At times he will fail to shoot his hands early or effectively enough and can be beaten quickly as a result.

In run blocking, Johnson will struggle to remain balanced at times and this results in him failing to stay engaged with a defender.

Fit with the Packers:

The Packers do not have an immediate need at offensive tackle, with David Bakhtiari, Yosh Nijman and Zach Tom all strong options on the current roster, but Bakhtiari is no sure bet to stay in Green Bay long-term and Johnson could still compete to start on the right side in 2023.

Interestingly, Johnson does not align with the physical profile of the offensive linemen drafted by Brian Gutekunst… he’s too tall. Every offensive lineman drafted by Gutekunst has been between at least 6’4” and smaller than 6’6”.

While this may not be a threshold that would realistically prevent the Packers from drafting Johnson, it is intriguing, especially when you consider David Bakhtiari is also a “shorter” tackle.

Overall, Johnson is a natural pass protector who possesses all the tools evaluators look for and still has room to grow. He turns 22 in July.

He has a strong argument for being the best offensive tackle in this class and should be a viable option for the Packers in the 1st round, if he is still available when they pick.