2022 NFL Draft Profiles: Should Zion Johnson Be a Priority for the Jaguars at No. 33?

Does the Senior Bowl standout make sense for the Jaguars at the top of the draft's second round?

The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Boston College guard Zion Johnson, one of this year's biggest risers.

Overview

Unlike most top prospects, Zion Johnson didn't enter college to an army of offers from top programs and with five gold stars next to his name. Instead, Johnson has worked his way all the way to top-40 pick status. 

Ranked a zero-star prospect by 247Sports and only fielding an offer from Davidson College, Johnson spent the first two years of his college career at Davidson, starting 19 games and appearing in 22. After those seasons, Johnson transferred to Boston College and became one of the program's top building blocks.

In 2019, he was named All-ACC Second Team after making seven starts at left guard. Johnson. He then started 11 games at left tackle in 2020 before 10 starts at left guard in 2021, going along with one more start at left tackle.

Johnson went on to earn an invite to the Reese's Senior Bowl in 2021, standing out as one of the best offensive players in Mobile. He then went on to post terrific numbers at the NFL Scouting Combine, posting the best three-cone and shuttle time of any guard in the entire class, going along with the second-best vertical and broad jump. 

What Zion Johnson Does Well

Other than being shorter than most guards (7th percentile in height), Zion Johnson looks like the complete package at guard. He has a thickly built frame that carries his weight well while also having more than above-average length for the position. Take his athletic testing and film into consideration, and it is clear Johnson is able to remain both explosive and agile at his size. 

Johnson stands out as both a pass-protector and run-blocker for similar reasons. He is already built lower to the ground than most interior prospects but he used this to his advantage all the same, playing with terrific leverage in both aspects of blocking. He fires low out his stance and plays with consistently good pad level, rarely looking out of control in either phase. 

Johnson thrives as a double-teamer and against head-up defensive tackles because he has a forklift-like blocking style, getting under the pads of defenders and uprooting them as he drives them back. Add in his blend of leverage, strength and explosion and Johnson is a people-mover who can thrive in a variety of blocking schemes. 

Johnson also shows a lot of potential in space on screens, at the second level and when pulling. He does a good job of tracking targets in space and taking the right angles to smaller and quicker defenders, 

As a pass-blocker, Johnson shows the footwork in a phone booth to match with speed rushers, while also having the patience and balance to keep them crossing his face and shooting inside. His natural leverage and anchor come into play a fair bit as well, with Johnson frequently stifling bull-rushes.

How Zion Johnson Would Fit With the Jaguars

This is more or less the same argument that we made for Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green, though Johnson is an even more natural fit thanks to his mobility and high marks at the combine. While Green had a mediocre day of testing, Johnson is one of the most athletic guards in the draft and would give the Jaguars a high-upside option at left guard.

The Jaguars made big investments in their offensive line this offseason, franchise-tagging left tackle Cam Robinson and making right guard Brandon Scherff one of the league's highest-paid guards. They do still have an open spot at left guard, though, following the expiration of former starter Andrew Norwell's contract.

Johnson has years of experience and success at left guard and has gotten better and better throughout his career, so there is a good chance there is still some development and potential that has yet been tapped into. The Jaguars already have some athletic linemen up front, so adding Johnson would only bolster the unit.

The Jaguars' current options at left guard include former 2020 draft pick Ben Bartch, 2018 fourth-rounder Will Richardson and 2021 second-round tackle Walker Little, who has not taken a snap at guard in college or the NFL. Considering there is no sure answer among either of those three players, the Jaguars would be wise to invest in a left guard in the draft. Johnson is a better guard prospect than any of those players coming out, though, and deserves consideration as an upgrade over any of them.

Verdict

If Zion Johnson for some reason fell to No. 33 overall, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke would likely have to make sure he doesn't strain his own hamstring sprinting to the podium to turn in the pick. Johnson is a legitimate first-round prospect and could be a game-changing guard prospect and fit as the final missing piece of the Jaguars' offensive line.

The Jaguars have bigger needs than left guard, but it is hard to imagine there is a better player available to select in the scenario where Johnson is there at No. 33. It would be a classic best player available scenario and would give the Jaguars a lot of optimism around their offensive line both in the short- and long-term.

For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.

• EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
• EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
• OL Evan Neal, Alabama
• OL Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State
• WR Jameson Williams, Alabama
• WR Drake London, USC
• WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State
• WR David Bell, Purdue
• WR Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
• WR George Pickens, Georgia
• WR Christian Watson, NDSU
• EDGE Travon Walker, Georgia
• OL Kenyon Green, Texas A&M