Latest draft intel emerges on former Florida State star Jermaine Johnson

Jermaine Johnson put together a strong season for Florida State in 2021 and showcased exactly what type of player he can be at the NFL level. With two days to go before the 2022 NFL Draft, analysts are buzzing about his rising stock.

After recording 70 total tackles, 12 sacks and two forced fumbles with the Seminoles last year, Johnson is now projected to be a high first-round pick on Thursday night when the draft gets underway in Las Vegas. One ESPN draft analyst went so far as to say that the former Seminole is the “hottest” name among teams right now.

“Jermaine Johnson hottest name right now,” Matt Miller tweeted. “One source said top 10 lock.”

Looking at his stats from last season, Johnson made 11 tackles in a loss to Jacksonville State on Sept. 11 and 10 tackles in a setback against Wake Forest on Sept. 18. Over his combined three seasons at Georgia and Florida State, Johnson played in 27 games – meaning he brings plenty of experience to the NFL.

Analysts have compared the 6-foot-5, 262-pound edge rusher and Last Chance U star to Raiders’ DE Maxx Crosby who was a second-team All-Pro this season.

Jermaine Johnson hype grows ahead of draft

Matt Miller isn’t the only draft analyst hyping up Jermaine Johnson’s stock ahead of Thursday’s draft.

According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN’s NFL Nation, Johnson is one of the best EDGE rushers in the draft class – if not the best. Because of that, Raanan projects Johnson to go fairly quickly on Thursday.

“A player who will go higher Thursday than most seem to expect is FSU edge rusher Jermaine Johnson,” Raanan wrote on Twitter. “Some I spoke with believe he will ultimately be the best pass rusher in this draft. Seems to be a Top 10 lock. Maybe even sneaks into Top 5?”

Before Johnson’s standout season at Florida State, he spent a pair of seasons at Georgia – making 34 tackles and 6.5 sacks and forcing a fumble.

He wasn’t a highly-rated recruit coming out of Eden Prairie (Minn.) High School due to academic issues, so the defender had to start his collegiate career at Independence Community College in Kansas. After excelling there, Johnson committed to Georgia over several offers – including Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oregon.

On3’s Tyler Mansfield contributed to this report.