Insider shares how Paris Johnson is fitting in with Arizona Cardinals

Want to know how the top offensive tackle in the NFL is settling in? Former Ohio State star Paris Johnson received plenty of reps on both sides of the Cardinals’ o-line during offseason workouts.

ESPN is checking in with its NFL reporters for updates on all 31 first-round draft picks. So this Paris Johnson info is from Josh Weinfuss, who covers the Cardinals. He summed up the big offensive tackle’s performance through rookie and mini-camps as well as OTAs.

He said Johnson received a big number of reps at both left and right tackle. Johnson benefitted from the on-field absence of starting left tackle D.J. Humphries, who is out while rehabbing his back. Meanwhile, starting right tackle Kelvin Beachum didn’t participate in some voluntary workouts. With all the reps, Johnson impressed coaches and his other teammates with his “skills, size and intelligence.”

Humphries helped mentor Johnson since the Cardinals selected him. It didn’t matter that he might be helping train his replacement.

“I like him a lot, man,” Humphries told ESPN in regards to Johnson. “He’s a student. He got a lot of student to him. He’s not a young hunk that’s kind of like, ‘I got this figured out. You old guys get out the way and hold my water.’ He doesn’t have any of that to him. He’s very like, ‘I want to know, am I doing this right? How can I do this better? How do you do this? What are you thinking about when you’re doing this?'” 

It’s not a big surprise that someone like Paris Johnson would be in constant learning mode. He can speak Mandarin Chinese — he started learning it in the fifth grade. And he started learning Portuguese so he could visit Brazil. Johnson created a foundation while he was in high school. That foundation devotes itself to helping veterans and kids from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Johnson majored in journalism at Ohio State and wrote stories for the school newspaper. He earned his degree in three years. And Johnson’s mother, the high school counselor, wouldn’t have it any other way.

When the Cardinals introduced Paris Johnson as their newest first-rounder, the big tackle chose to talk about his writing, specifically how he’d craft his NFL story.

“I’d probably talk about the phone call (telling him he was selected),” Johnson told reporters. “I’d probably talk about how, 40 seconds before the phone rings I made the joke, ‘I might miss the call because I’m in the bathroom.'”

But he didn’t miss the call. He now appears on his way to significant playing time as a rookie. We know he’ll tell a good story.