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With the first night of the NFL draft in the books, former FSU edge rusher and 2021 ACC defensive player of the year, Jermaine Johnson became the 46th Seminole to hear his name called in the first round.
There was no question whether Johnson would go in the first round after a standout senior season and having a stellar showing in both the senior bowl and NFL combine. But perhaps the surprise of the night was having to wait until the 26th pick to hear his name called.
In our opinion, this will lead to Johnson likely being one of the bigger steals in the NFL draft.
With that 26th pick, the NY Jets landed Jermaine Johnson and closed out a night that many feel was won by his new team.
The 2022 edition of the NFL draft was loaded with defensive players taken in the first round. This included five of his former teammates from UGA, which may have been part of the reason it took 26 picks to hear his name called. Because anyone who has been around Jermaine Johnson knows it certainly wasn’t due to his on or off the field performance.
FSU fans have seen how this plays out before with other Seminole standouts slipping farther than excepted but going on to shine in the NFL. Most notably in recent history was Dalvin Cook who slid all the way to round 2 but is now a force to be reckoned within the league. We feel Johnsons journey will likely follow the same path.
However, going anywhere in the first round is definitely not something to turn your nose up at, especially when you consider Johnson’s path to get there. In a truly inspiring story, Johnson who had no offers coming out of high school and started in the JUCO ranks, still managed to become a first round NFL draft pick.
There was a lot of speculation that the Jets would take him with the 10th overall pick, so you can imagine how excited the franchise was to still have a chance to get their guy with the 26th pick.
Obviously, Johnson himself was also thrilled to be part of the select few that make it to the league. While he may not say it directly, we know he’s ready to show the teams who passed on him just how big of a mistake that was.
"They said they'd come get me and they came and got me."
— New York Jets (@nyjets) April 29, 2022
You know it, @ii_jermaine.#NFLDraft 4/28-4/30 on NFLN/ABC/ESPN pic.twitter.com/YUFtOHIPZd
Seminole fans will be eager to see how his career plays out. Johnson only needed one season to become a fan favorite and cast a legacy that will last a lifetime in Tallahassee. As one-chapter closes, and another opens for Jermaine, we wish him nothing but the best going forward.
Thank you for reading and Go Noles!
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