The Arizona Cardinals have been busy in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. They traded down from No. 3 overall, paving the way for the Houston Texans to pick back-to-back, and then up to No. 6 overall with the Detroit Lions to take Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. The Cardinals gave up picks Nos. 12, 34, 168 to get Nos. 6 and 81.
One of the nation's best offensive linemen throughout high school, Johnson made his presence known for the Buckeyes in 2021, starting all 13 games at right guard for the FBS' top-ranked offense. He stepped his game up this past season by earning consensus All-America honors for his play at left tackle.
Johnson is the first Ohio State offensive lineman to go in the top 10 since Orlando Pace in 1997. He was a first-team All-Big Ten player, and allowed two sacks with 11 pressures in 424 pass blocking snaps last season. Cardinals star quarterback Kyler Murray reportedly let the team know he wanted Johnson on the squad, and new general manager Monti Ossenfort obliged. Arizona has its new franchise left tackle.
Below is a comprehensive draft profile for Johnson, including his scouting report, prospect ranking, pro comparison, combine results, college and high school accolades and overall NFL outlook.
NFL Draft grade: B
"He's the best tackle in this class, but is he elite? Plus where do they play him? They have a left tackle in D.J. Humphries, so maybe he plays right tackle or inside at guard. Good player." -- Pete Prisco
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Paris Johnson Jr. draft profile
- Age: 21
- Hometown: Cincinnati
- Interesting fact: Has written several articles for The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper.
- CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 13 overall | No. 2 OL | 89.70 rating (Long-term starter)
NFL combine measurements/results
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 313 lbs | Arms: 36 1/8" | Hands: 9 1/2"
- 40-yard dash: N/A
- Broad jump: 9 feet, 2 inches
- Vertical jump: N/A
- Bench press: 29 reps
NFL comparison
Scouting report
Paris Johnson Jr. is a consistently good run blocker when he doesn't get too upright, and he uses leverage well. His passpro needs refinement, and his footwork can be sloppy at times. He does offer position flexibility on game days -- he was the Buckeyes' starting right guard in 2021 before moving to left tackle for the 2022 season. He's one of the best offensive linemen in this draft class.
Strengths
- Will sit in passpro set with good anchor, staying in-balance
- Ability to re-anchor but sometimes struggles against strong edge rushers who play with a low center of gravity
- Plus athlete, but it's important to remember that he is still raw
- Moves well laterally, can get out in space
- Quick feet; when he's in balance it allows him to mirror well
- Consistently shows ability to sustain run blocks, and if the opportunity presents itself, will pancake the defensive end into the turf
- When feet and hands are in concert, he can stonewall pass rushers
Weaknesses
- Can sometimes get too high in pass sets and lose leverage
- Can be susceptible to long-arm, particularly since he has tendency to play more upright
- Sometimes will overset and get beaten by inside pass rush move, then has to rely on athleticism to make up for it
- Extremely raw, relying on athleticism to win; will need to become a technician to be trusted at LT in NFL
College stats, accolades
Honors
- 2022: Consensus All-American
- 2022: First-team All-Big Ten
- 2021: All-Big Ten second team (coaches) and third team (media)
Notable statistics
- 2021-22: Started all 26 games the past two seasons (RG in 2021 and LT in 2022)
- 2022: Two sacks and 11 pressures allowed in 424 pass block snaps
247Sports profile
High school: Princeton (Cincinnati)
Class: 2020
Composite Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0.9953)
- National: 9 | OT: 1 | Ohio: 1 | All-time: 192
High school accolades: First-team All-American (MaxPreps), first-team junior All-American (MaxPreps), two-time All-American (USA Today), first-team All-State (MaxPreps), two-time first-team All-State (OHSAA), All-American Bowl selection
Check out Paris Johnson Jr.'s full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here.
