Kansas Jayhawk Kyron Johnson Is Gaining Attention from NFL Scouts

Kyron Johnson had a pair of impressive showings at the Reese's Senior Bowl and the Pro Day for the Jayhawks. What kind of additional attention is that bringing from NFL scouts?

It seems like every year, no matter the overall level of talent on the Kansas Jayhawks football team, one player makes the jump from Lawrence to the NFL. The exciting part about the Kansas football program is watching the players who represent the Jayhawks grow in their time here. We watch those players learn, mature, and develop into men through the game of football. Many of those players have hopes and dreams of playing at an elite level after college. When their playing career at Kansas ends, decisions are made for their future. Some recent players that successfully made that move include Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., Dorance Armstrong, Ben Heeney, Steven Sims, and Hakeem Adeniji. Fast forward to 2022, and the player most likely to be able to continue pursuing his dreams of playing in the NFL is Kyron Johnson. 

Johnson just finished his career at Kansas, where he logged 191 total tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, and eight forced fumbles in 57 games for the Jayhawks. In 2020, he was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention as a linebacker, and in 2021 he was selected to the Pro Football Focus All-Big 12 Second Team.  As he's attended events to prepare for the NFL Draft, he has consistently impressed.

The Reese's Senior Bowl

Johnson was invited and participated in the 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl. He is now the 38th player in program history to participate, and he took this opportunity to showcase his talents as a linebacker. According to Tony Pauline at the Pro Football Network, Johnson is "an explosive but undersized edge rusher who gets the most from his ability. He's fast up the field and can make plays in pursuit. Johnson could end up as a pass-rush specialist at the next level." Johnson caught the eyes of scouts and other media members.

Johnson was highlighted twice on Jim Nagy's Twitter account for his ability to take on some elite tackles at the Reese's Senior Bowl. Johnson takes on offensive tackle Trevor Penning from Northern Iowa in the first video. Penning is one of the top tackles in this year's draft.

NFL scouts might not know where Kansas’ Kyron Johnson fits best but several teams have mid-4.4 GPS play speeds on him and they know he’ll run over you—even if you’re one of the most talented OT in this year’s draft like Abe Lucas. ST coaches gonna be pounding table for @krjohn15! pic.twitter.com/9XgtEQht95

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 21, 2022

In the second video, Johnson is seen exploding off the line as he challenges offensive tackle Abe Lucas from Washington State. Johnson demonstrates his elite speed as he gets Lucas on his heels getting drove into the turf.  

Kansas Jayhawks Pro Day

On March 9th, the Kansas Jayhawks hosted their pro day for former players. Kyron Johnson was in attendance and took full advantage of showing off his talents. This was his time to shine as he was not invited to the NFL combine. 

We knew @krjohn15 was fast…

But 𝟒.𝟑𝟔 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/R3RxiOvqNF

— Kansas Football (@KU_Football) March 9, 2022

He tested well in the 40-yard dash, clocking a 4.36 and a 4.39. The fastest linebacker at the combine ran a 4.42. Johnson also recorded a 39.5 vertical jump.  After both his Senior Bowl performance and his pro day performance, Johnson's stock is rising.

Johnson is not projected to be taken in the NFL Draft this year, but there seems to be a lot of interest in his abilities, and many expect him to have multiple options to continue his career as an undrafted free agent.