Paris Johnson Jr. didn’t feel like he needed to prove much on the field at the NFL Scouting Combine. Having already excelled as Ohio State’s left tackle this past season, Johnson thought he already had a strong case for being the best offensive tackle in this year’s draft.
“I feel like I’ve proven that in my film already,” Johnson said during his interview session at the combine on Saturday. “And at this time, it's me being able to show them in the interviews, being able to get on a board. I’m able to explain my technique, what went right, what went wrong, things I can improve on? What are the things, what’s the mindset, how quick am I doing my memory? Trying to remember a play installed, I think with stuff like that, I think all that stuff's been great.
“I can't necessarily show my violence on the field (at the combine) since it’s all bags. I'm sure none of the coaches wanted me to do something extra like that, you know what I mean? But I think just being able to reaffirm, with them being able to touch and feel with me in person, is different. It’s another layer to what they've seen I’ve put on film.”
Nevertheless, Johnson went through a complete set of position drills with the rest of the offensive linemen at the combine on Sunday afternoon. And in doing so, he showed why he has a very real chance of being the first offensive tackle off the draft board next month.
From a distance, you could have mistaken Johnson for a skill-position player as he ran through his drills inside Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. He stood out compared to his fellow offensive linemen with how explosively and fluidly he moved through each exercise, changing directions quickly and bouncing off his feet with minimal wasted motion.
Best tackle prospect in this years draft?@OhioStateFB | @ParisJohnsonJr
— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2023
: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/gx9tEraUzf
Johnson didn’t run the 40-yard dash on Sunday, and Georgia’s Broderick Jones – one of Johnson’s top two competitors to be the first offensive lineman drafted along with Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski – was the early standout of the day by running a 4.97-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time among all offensive linemen.
But with Jones immediately following Johnson in alphabetical order, it was easy to compare how they looked head-to-head in position drills, and Johnson looked like the more natural athlete in the drills that actually simulated what they’ll do on the field as offensive linemen.
quick feet @ParisJohnsonJr
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 5, 2023
: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/SEJGk9ox24
If an NFL left tackle was built in a lab, he’d look a lot like Johnson did on Sunday, both on the field and during his weigh-in. Johnson checked in with prototype measurables at the combine, measuring in at 6’6 3/8” and 313 pounds with 36 1/8-inch arms – the third-longest among all players at the combine behind only former Ohio State teammates Dawand Jones and Zach Harrison – and an 85 1/8-inch wingspan.
Those numbers give him a slight edge in terms of size over both Broderick Jones and Skoronski, as Jones measured in at 6’5 3/8” and 311 pounds with 34 3/4” arms and Skoronski measured in at 6’4” and 313 pounds with 32 1/4” arms.
Johnson’s combine became even more impressive in the final event of the combine Monday morning when he put up 29 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, a drill in which longer arms like Johnson’s are typically regarded as a disadvantage.
pushin @ParisJohnsonJr
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) March 6, 2023
: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/giVo9DV2nV
The one potential first-round offensive tackle who was bigger than Johnson – and everyone else at the combine, for that matter – is his former Ohio State teammate, as Dawand Jones weighed in with gargantuan measurables of 6’8 1/4” and 374 pounds. Jones wasn’t quite as fluid as Johnson in position drills, as you might expect given their difference in size, but he still looked better than some of the other offensive linemen much smaller than him, making his day at the combine a success as well – and giving him and Johnson reason to celebrate.
Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones just celebrated by chest-bumping each other as their group wrapped up offensive line drills.
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) March 5, 2023
It was a good day for all three of Ohio State’s offensive linemen at the combine on Sunday, as Luke Wypler also made his case for being the draft’s top center. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.14 seconds – the best time among centers and 15th-fastest among all offensive linemen – and was impressive in his own position drills, standing out as one of the most fluid movers in the second group of linemen who worked out on Sunday.
While the NFL Combine got off to a slow start for Ohio State in terms of on-field work, as all three of the Buckeyes’ defensive combine invitees (Zach Harrison, Cam Brown and Ronnie Hickman) skipped on-field workouts, all five of Ohio State’s combine participants on the offensive side of the ball can leave Indianapolis feeling they strengthened their standing as soon-to-be early-round draft picks, as all three offensive linemen performed well Sunday after C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba excelled Saturday.
