Zion Johnson Completes Impressive Week at Senior Bowl

Has the Eagles moved up into the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft?

The 2022 Senior Bowl game is this afternoon, but Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson has already made his mark at the event. The graduate student transfer from Davidson has been impressive this week in practices, playing at guard, tackle and even a little center. During his workouts he has competed against, and for the most part dominated some of the best defensive linemen at the event, showcasing excellent form and movement. 

At the conclusion of workouts, Johnson was named the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl Practice Player of the Week. This award was given out to one player on each team for their work during the various practices during the week.  

Even when he was struggling, like he was at center at times, Johnson continued to make an impression. BC Bulletin writer Mitch Wolfe was at the practices and gave a report: 

"Johnson was one of the first players on the field for every day of practice, every single day. He was working snaps and just doing reps before everyone at practice. Then, he was also always one of the last to leave. He was getting extra snaps with the QBs and at one point he was like working technique with another player." 

Johnson has incredible PFF marks

He graded out as the seventh-best guard nationally (83.4) according to Pro Football Focus (min. 700 snaps). Johnson is listed as the No. 1 guard in the 2022 NFL Draft according to ESPN's Todd McShay and rated the No. 32 overall prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft by McShay.

His hard work clearly caught the attention of many mock drafts and analysts who have started to project Johnson as the top guard in the country. NFL.com analysts Lance Zierlein and Chase Goodbread were impressed after the first day of workouts.

Johnson was one of the most buzzworthy offensive linemen of the day for the National team, which is being coached by the New York Jets' staff. While he's a little on the short side for the offensive line (6-foot-2), he has long arms and a very impressive, muscular build that translated into the power we witnessed in practice. Johnson's heavy hands were on full display in pass protection, as he neutralized some of the stronger pass rushers. He played with good hand placement and very good lower-body bend to anchor down.

Currently most sites have either the BC product or Kenyon Green of Texas A&M as the top guard taken in the draft. But Johnson made a name for himself with his versatility and relentless work ethic this weekend, with some sites even having him in the first round. 

NFL Draft Mocks Continue to Buy On Johnson

CBS Sports have Johnson going with Pick 31 to the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The site explained:

If you're a Bengals fan reading this, it's probably because you're extremely worried about all the hits Joe Burrow has taken during his first two NFL seasons. It's very understandable, and in this mock draft Cincinnati addresses your concern by selecting Johnson. He played left tackle at Boston College but excelled at guard and even center during Senior Bowl week.

There is still months before the 2022 NFL Draft, but Johnson's work this week has made him a very attractive prospect for NFL teams. 

Join our forum to talk BC football, basketball, hockey and recruiting! Become part of our BC Bulletin message board and forum. It is a free way to comment on our posts, and interact with other Boston College fans and alumni. Make sure to sign up and become a member. Click here to join today!

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook and following on us on Twitter.

Facebook- BostonCollegeSI

Twitter: @BulletinBC, @AJBlack_BC