H2o Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Georgia Tech Pro Day...Georgia Tech DE Michael Johnson dazzled the crowd of more than 40 NFL executives and personnel men today, including Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff, head coach Mike Smith and Carolina head coach John Fox...Johnson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, with one team — the Detroit Lions, clocking him at 4.49, which was substantially faster than the 4.66 he ran at the NFL scouting combine in February...Johnson, 6-7, 266-pounds, went to dinner with Miami Dolphins defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers on Sunday at the Fox Sports Grill...Several coaches from the New York Jets took turns speaking with Johnson Monday The guy ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at 6'7" and 266lbs. He also had a strong showing at the combine with 28 reps on the bench press, a 4.37 20-yard shuttle, and a 10'8" broad jump. I think just about everyone has seen him play or watched highlight videos of the guy. He's a freak of nature athletically for a guy his size. They talk about him only playing one speed and over-running plays, but I don't necessarily buy it. He might be exactly what we need. He clearly would be able to have the explosion coming off of the edge that we're looking for in a DE to put pressure on the QB. The following statement here is about Mario Williams when he was heading into the draft: Despite being so talented, Williams has not dominated like he should. He just seems to disappear at times. For how big and athletic he is, he should just own opposing tackles. Perhaps that is because he still relies on his athleticism to make plays. Whatever the reason, it does cause some concern. Sounds familiar to what they say about Johnson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeastMode54 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I admit he is very very impressive numbers wise, but there seems to be a consensus that not only does he take plays off, but that he lacks the passion to play. On the NFL network Gruden said Johnson is a clone of Peppers. I don't know what to think of him. He could be amazing, but I don't want to take a guy with too many question marks at DE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I posted this earlier on the same subject. I watched about 20-25 of Michael Johnson's plays...albeit a small sample size: "Watched the Youtube Michael Johnson stuff...all nine minutes. He looks like he always knows where the ball is...some combination of instinct, vision, and understanding of what the offense is trying to do. Very good against the run. Doesn't fall for misdirection and can string out plays to the sidelines. Great leaping ability. These are the positives I saw. He doesn't seem to have good snap anticipation or the all-important explosive first step (although he looks like he has a nice finishing burst). Doesn't seem like he has the change of direction needed to play as a linebacker. Finally, he seems more effective at left defensive end than on the right side, which would be good if he took Kelsay's job. All in all, looks like a reach at #11 but pretty sweet at #42." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moovemtooelay Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I would take him...Orakpo,Brown and especially Maybin just don't really amaze me. Unlike most people in this board I don't feel we should use the 11th pick on a player thats not gonna be on the field the whole time like a "situational pass rusher". The only two ends that look like day one starters are Orakpo and Johnson and i would take Johnson out of the two!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lets_go_bills Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 lol, Michael Johnson will still be there when we pick in the second round. He's an grossly underachieving physical freak with crazy athleticism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Just got done watching the Robert Ayers video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAR9Qb3liRs I realize Michael Johnson is a workout freak. His drills were lights out at the combine. But on film, Ayers is much more impressive to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Mike Mayock stated that Johnson would blow up the combine with his numbers and teams will fall in love with him,but like someone stated earlier the guy lacks passion and takes way to many plays off. I'll take a football player over a workout warrior any day. Mike Mayock has moved Robert Ayers up in the draft to his #1 DE and #12 out of the top 20 players. http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d...mp;confirm=true Analysis: Positives: Powerfully built athlete. ... Good lower-body strength to hold up at the point of attack. ... Flashes the ability to anchor and split double-team blocking off the edge. ... Good initial hand punch to stun the offensive tackle. ... Flashes some upfield burst to challenge wide and has good lateral quickness to redirect to the inside. ... Good use of hands to prevent tackles from latching on and steering him away from the plays. ... Varies his speed off the edge and can surprise blockers with his suddenness. ... Can close with authority, flashing explosiveness. ... Versatile defender with experience at tackle and end. ... Developed into a team leader as a senior. ... Could be an ascending player who is just beginning to scratch the surface of his talent. Negatives: Lacks an elite first step or the straight-line speed to be true edge rusher. ... Relies more on varying his speed off the snap and strength at the point of attack, rather than pure athleticism to make plays. ... Moved around a lot in this defense and was allowed to exploit mismatches. ... Likes to tackle high and can allow stronger ballcarriers to escape his grasp. ... Can be a bit of a showboat, which could lead to penalties in the NFL. ... Stepped up his play significantly as a senior and evaluators will ponder whether he was a one-year wonder motivated by the big NFL payday. Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange. http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/robert...le-tab-analysis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I admit he is very very impressive numbers wise, but there seems to be a consensus that not only does he take plays off, but that he lacks the passion to play. On the NFL network Gruden said Johnson is a clone of Peppers. I don't know what to think of him. He could be amazing, but I don't want to take a guy with too many question marks at DE I would roll the dice on him TO will light him up if he does not perform Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I admit he is very very impressive numbers wise, but there seems to be a consensus that not only does he take plays off, but that he lacks the passion to play. On the NFL network Gruden said Johnson is a clone of Peppers. I don't know what to think of him. He could be amazing, but I don't want to take a guy with too many question marks at DE he does not have to play every down here. Situational pass rusher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 i dunno, kelsey and denny are DEs who at times look very good, they both lack a quick first step and that's why they are sht at rushing the passer. a quick first step is for a pass rusher is like a jump shot for a swing man in basketball, it is the basis of his entire game. i am willing to overlook lots of short comings if we draft a guy who can get off the ball and cause some disruption. a healthy aaron and some kind of rotation of anyone else in our front 4 would really really help our d Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Michael Johnson has got "buyer beware" all over him. I believe he will make it to the second round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 No. I wouldn't draft him in the 2nd round based upon what I've seen of him. He's a good athlete, but that's about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Tuesday Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I dunno about Ayers. I watched that video, and it looks to me like he was either not blocked at all in those highlights, or blocked right into the play. In only one or two of those clips did he explode through his block. I'm not saying he won't be good, but I'm not convinced after watching that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Michael Johnson just doesn't have the football skills at this point to come in and be a dominant player in the NFL. Heck, he wasn't a dominant player at Tech for the most part. He is a physical specimen, but he hasn't translated that raw athleticism into being a great football player -- yet. Who knows if he will ever. (And, I like the kid and really hope he does put it together, because he could be a great one.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drinkTHEkoolaid Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 i get nervous about the combine hereos and workout warriors... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2o Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 Just got done watching the Robert Ayers video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAR9Qb3liRs I realize Michael Johnson is a workout freak. His drills were lights out at the combine. But on film, Ayers is much more impressive to me. Mike Mayock stated that Johnson would blow up the combine with his numbers and teams will fall in love with him,but like someone stated earlier the guy lacks passion and takes way to many plays off. I'll take a football player over a workout warrior any day. Mike Mayock has moved Robert Ayers up in the draft to his #1 DE and #12 out of the top 20 players. http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d...mp;confirm=true Analysis: Positives: Powerfully built athlete. ... Good lower-body strength to hold up at the point of attack. ... Flashes the ability to anchor and split double-team blocking off the edge. ... Good initial hand punch to stun the offensive tackle. ... Flashes some upfield burst to challenge wide and has good lateral quickness to redirect to the inside. ... Good use of hands to prevent tackles from latching on and steering him away from the plays. ... Varies his speed off the edge and can surprise blockers with his suddenness. ... Can close with authority, flashing explosiveness. ... Versatile defender with experience at tackle and end. ... Developed into a team leader as a senior. ... Could be an ascending player who is just beginning to scratch the surface of his talent. Negatives: Lacks an elite first step or the straight-line speed to be true edge rusher. ... Relies more on varying his speed off the snap and strength at the point of attack, rather than pure athleticism to make plays. ... Moved around a lot in this defense and was allowed to exploit mismatches. ... Likes to tackle high and can allow stronger ballcarriers to escape his grasp. ... Can be a bit of a showboat, which could lead to penalties in the NFL. ... Stepped up his play significantly as a senior and evaluators will ponder whether he was a one-year wonder motivated by the big NFL payday. Copyright NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange. http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/robert...le-tab-analysis Robert Ayers 2008 stats - 49 tackles, 33 solo, 3 sacks Career stats - 112 tackles, 73 solo, 9 sacks Michael Johnson 2008 stats - 45 tackles, 27 solo, 9 sacks Career stats - 113 tackles, 65 solo, 20 sacks I like Ayers and all, but he hasn't shown the ability to get to the QB like talking about. Everyone's throwing the "man love" around for this guy without looking at his lack of production in rushing the passer. Last time I checked, a guy that CAN get to the QB is what we need around here. I would like to have Ayers as well if he was to be had in the 2nd, but that's looking more and more less likely. Johnson had as many sacks last season as Ayers has for his whole college career. I'm not bashing Ayers, I'm just saying that all of the "love" he's getting doesn't seem that justified. He had an excellent Senior Bowl week, sure, but is that supposed to overshadow what he actually accomplished while on the field at Tennessee in 4 years? I don't know, you tell me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conch Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 He sounds like a TE that plays for the 49ers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thoner7 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I caught a lot of GT games this year (4-5) for the sole purpose of watching Johnson. I never saw him take a play off. I think that comes from him holding his backside contain on run plays/options (unlike our friend Kelsay). But once the RB broke the line of scrimmage he made a lot of plays chasing the play down from behind. He absolutely dominated vrs Virginia and E. Monroe, a potential top 10 LT. People bring up his porduction, but the thing is he was productive when he was on the field. He was not a full time, every down player - it seemed to me that GT ran 3 DEs that they rotated in for equal time. I assumed this was to keep guys fresh, Johnson was clearly the best of the three. I also like Johnson because he often lined up at LDE on many occasions, he could instantly start over Kelsay IMO. He has all the physical tools to be great, and I think he will be a force, but he seems to have a lot more risk involved than Brown/Orakpo. He just seems like the type of player who will be much more productive at the pro level than he was in college, I have no problem takin him at 11. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NY Nole Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Watched him play against FSU. He had the talent to absolutely dominate at that level -- but was very inconsistent. One play he could make an incredible play, the next he would be non existent. I think I would take Brown, Jackson or Ayers over him -- but wouldn't be disappointed if we ended up with him either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazed and Amuzed Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Robert Ayers 2008 stats - 49 tackles, 33 solo, 3 sacks Career stats - 112 tackles, 73 solo, 9 sacks Michael Johnson 2008 stats - 45 tackles, 27 solo, 9 sacks Career stats - 113 tackles, 65 solo, 20 sacks I like Ayers and all, but he hasn't shown the ability to get to the QB like talking about. Everyone's throwing the "man love" around for this guy without looking at his lack of production in rushing the passer. Last time I checked, a guy that CAN get to the QB is what we need around here. I would like to have Ayers as well if he was to be had in the 2nd, but that's looking more and more less likely. Johnson had as many sacks last season as Ayers has for his whole college career. I'm not bashing Ayers, I'm just saying that all of the "love" he's getting doesn't seem that justified. He had an excellent Senior Bowl week, sure, but is that supposed to overshadow what he actually accomplished while on the field at Tennessee in 4 years? I don't know, you tell me. I agree, while I like Ayers I'd rather have a guy who has a nose for getting to the QB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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