Report: NFL insider dishes latest on stock watch of Florida State EDGE rusher 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. 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 2022 NFL Draft gets underway in Las Vegas.

According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN’s NFL Nation, Johnson is said to be one of the best EDGE rushers in the draft class – if not the best. Because of that, Raanan projects Johnson to be selected 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 best pass rusher in this draft. Seems to be a Top 10 lock. Maybe even sneaks into Top 5?”

Prior to 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 a number of offers – including Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oregon.

Looking at his stats from last season, Johnson – who stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 262 pounds – 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.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projects Johnson to be selected No. 7 overall by the New York Giants in the first round of the NFL Draft when Thursday arrives.