Measurables
UNIVERSITY- Boston College AGE- 22 CLASS- SR+
HEIGHT- 6’2 ¾” WEIGHT- 314 ARM LENGTH- 33 ⅞”
40 Time- 3 CONE- VERTICAL- BROAD JUMP- BENCH PRESS-
Overview
Zion Johnson played his high school ball at Riverside Baptist in Maryland where he played both football and golf. Johnson wasn’t highly recruited at all as he received 0 Division-1 offers, so he decided to take his talents to Davidson instead. He would spend 2 seasons at Davidson, playing in 22 games(19 starts). He earned PFL All-Conference First Team in 2018. After 2 years at Davidson, Zion transferred to Boston College where he would make an immediate impact. In his first year in 2019 he played in all 13 games, starting 7 of those at left guard. He earned All-ACC Second Team honors for his efforts in 2019. In 2020 Zion was voted a team captain and made the switch to left tackle; he played in all 11 games. He earned All-ACC Third Team for his work at left tackle in 2020. Zion elected to skip the draft in 2021 and come back for his 2021 season as a super senior. A decision that ultimately paid dividends as he earned First-Team All-ACC and First-Team All-American. Zion Johnson was also a terrific academic stand-out in his time at the collegiate level. Following the season Zion was invited to the Senior Bowl where he was considered a standout.
Strengths
Anywhere you need Zion Johnson to play, he’s not only willing but able to fill-in, in a pinch. We’ve seen him play a season at tackle, guard and he showed the ability to snap at the Senior Bowl. I project him as a guard in the NFL and he has perfect height, weight and length to do so. Johnson really excels as a run blocker, particularly when he’s out on the move. Zion flashes quick first step explosion off the line to reach defenders on run plays flowing laterally. He is a good runner out in space. He shows fantastic initial punch to get defenders off balance, if they aren’t able to match his punch they’re getting driven back. Zion is constantly moving and does a very nice job of breaking off into the second level to pick up blocks. Hand placement and body positioning is where Zion wins in the run game. He does a great job of sealing blocks to create a path to run behind him. I love the consistency that Zion played with, his technique in the run game was overall very sound. If you try to go through Zion and lose the leverage battle, you’re stuck and not getting away. He’s an incredibly tough guy to run through in both the run game and pass game. His strong hands and anchor are a big reason for this. Pass protection I feel isn’t as much of his strong suit. He shows good control to stay square and balanced in pass pro and never falls over himself in these instances. He has adequate quickness to stay in front of most defenders. As a tackle he plays with good balance as well and this will allow him to stay under control and in front of defenders. Like the run game though, his initial punch helps him the most in the pass game, not many can match his initial punch. Johnson also shows a good understanding and awareness of twist stunts, he flows well as a help defender and switches off well in these situations. I see Zion coming into the league and starting day 1 as a guard and having not much issues doing so.
Weaknesses/Room for Improvement
Zion is a very aggressive and tenacious blocker in the run game, this can lead to him over-extending himself at-times and whiffing on second level blocks. I felt even though Johnson showed a strong base and a strong upper body, he lacks that lower-body power and leg drive that is needed to drive someone straight out of a hole. So more or less I would say he is more of a zone-run scheme guard. There were times where he played a little high at the point of attack and this allowed defenders to disengage and make a tackle. Overall utilization of his length and improvement with his leverage will serve him well. As a pass protector this is where I had my most concern. He is most certainly better when moving downhill with momentum. I felt that Zion struggled to redirect when he was taken off balance in the pass protection aspect of things. When he lost in pass pro he often lost the battle of leverage and defenders were able to cross his face. It’s fair to say that Zion has a naturally strong anchor but he can struggle when players are able to match his power. I’m still uncertain if he has an answer as a pass protector in these cases. All-in-all Zion should be an impact player for an offense in the run game but I question his ability in pass protection at this point in time.
Scheme Fit
Zone-Run Blocking Scheme as an Interior Linemen
Round Grade
Early Second Round