Johnson Picked 17th Overall by the Los Angeles Chargers
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)Publisher
Zion Johnson is off the board.
The do-it-all Boston College offensive lineman was selected 17th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Johnson was one of 21 prospects to attend the event.
He is the 21st first-round pick in school history, including the 10th BC offensive lineman to hear his name called on Day One.
Johnson will be able to contribute right away, given his experience and versatility. He started full seasons at left tackle and left guard at BC, not to mention that he practiced and played center at this year's Reese's Senior Bowl.
Similar to 2019 BC first-round pick Chris Lindstrom, Johnson's draft stock ascended after his final collegiate season.
First, he impressed in Mobile, earning Senior Bowl Practice Player of the Week honors.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay on Johnson after the Senior Bowl:
“Johnson was not only the best interior lineman this week,” McShay wrote. “In my eyes, he was the best player. I watched some elite pass-rush prospects bull-rush linemen and drive them back. Then they would try the same moves on Johnson, and it wasn’t working. His tape is outstanding, and he was terrific in Mobile.”
At the NFL Combine, he was first among all participating O-Linemen in the bench press (32 reps), fourth in the vertical (32 inches), seventh in the broad jump (10 feet), fourth in the three-cone (7.38) and third in the 20-yard shuttle (4.46).
Here's what ESPN NFL Draft analysts Matt Miller and Jordan Reid had to say about Johnson after the combine.
Miller: "I was regrettably late to the party on Johnson, but I'm here with snacks to share with my friends who beat me to the festivities. Johnson flashed big time with a great Senior Bowl week and continued his ascent up draft boards with a flawless workout in Indy. His 33 bench press reps were the most among offensive linemen, and his field work showed balance, poise, flexibility and quickness. He's a powerful blocker with positional versatility as a guard or center, and he has the look of a Day 1 starter. Johnson moved himself into what I consider Round 1-lock territory. Teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking for an interior lineman at the end of the first round should be very interested."
Reid: "Johnson is at the top of the list of the prospects that I've been most impressed with throughout the pre-draft process. He played both guard and tackle throughout his career at Boston College, and he gained experience at center at the Senior Bowl. His first reps taken at the position came in Mobile, and there weren't any signs of drop-off. Johnson's versatility to play all five spots up front is one of his greatest assets, but he projects best as a center or guard on the next level. And repping a combine-high 32 reps for offensive lineman is another box checked to strengthen his resume. The Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals, who hold the 24th and 31st overall selections, respectively, could be circled as possible landing spots."
At BC's Pro Day, Johnson stood on his combine stats but further showcased his blocking chops in drilling with his now-former BC O-Line teammates.
It was a group that started 34 games together over the course of three seasons.
Johnson's BC career began in 2019 when he transferred from Davidson, where he made 19 starts on the offensive line and was selected to the PFL All-Conference First Team in 2018.
Johnson came off the bench during the early portion of the Eagles' 2019 campaign but eventually took over the starting role, strengthening an eighth-ranked rushing attack and emerging as a reliable pass protector. During a season in which Johnson earned ACC O-Lineman of the Week accolades three times, he allowed zero sacks and just eight pressures in 295 pass blocking attempts at left guard, per Pro Football Focus.
The following year, in a new pass-friendly scheme, Johnson was part of a preseason shakeup in the trenches after Tyler Vrabel suffered a shoulder injury. Vrabel went to right tackle, Johnson slid over to left tackle and Ben Petrula shifted to right guard.
The different role came with growing pains for Johnson, who accounted for two sacks and seven quarterback hits that season, as well as 18 hurries, and 27 pressures—both team highs—according to PFF. It’s important to note, however, that Johnson improved on the outside as the season progressed.
In fact, the 6-foot-3, 316-pounder posted his two-highest PFF grades in the final month of the season and, before that stretch, performed particularly well against a stout Clemson defense.
He rounded out the year with the fourth-best pass blocking grade (68.4) and the top run blocking grade (76.1) on the team, according to PFF. And, interestingly enough, his overall PFF offensive grade (76.1) was actually 4.7 points higher than it was in 2019.
The Bowie, Maryland, native accepted a Senior Bowl invite after the 2020 season before ultimately deciding to come back to the Heights for one more go-around with his teammates.
It worked out for Johnson, who returned to left guard and received All-ACC first-team honors for the first time in his career. He graded out as the seventh-best guard (83.4) nationally, per PFF, and posted his highest PFF run blocking (84.4) and pass blocking (81.6) grades of his Eagles career.
Johnson allowed just one sack and a mere six pressures in 777 snaps this past season, per PFF. Because of injuries to other members of the line, he even spent 75 snaps back at left tackle.
Johnson is just BC's second first-round selection since Luke Kuechly was taken ninth overall in 2012.
