Jerome Johnson, 6'0" 258FB, Nevada
Rankings: not ranked by Pro Football Weekly or NFLDraftScout.com.
Biography/Honors:
Was a fullback at Oregon (highlights) as a freshman before transferring to Nevada, where he played inside/outside linebacker for three years.
2008: 48 tackles, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup, 2 passes defensed.
2007: 58 tackles, 6 pass breakups. Won the team's "Blackout Award" for big hits.
Major: communications.
Injuries: none reported.
Pro Day Stats: (not invited to NFL Combine)
Johnson's Pro Day highlights
Since Johnson is trying to make the pros as a fullback, (sarcasm)as unfair as it may be, I'll list his numbers side-by-side with the pre-draft stats of the most awesome fullback in NFL history(/sarcasm), Madison Hedgecock:
* 4.70 40 (Hedgecock: 4.87)
* 24 bench presses (29)
* 4.43 20-yard shuttle (4.26)
* 7.13 3-cone drill (7.42)
* 32-inch vertical (32.5)
Positives: Surprise hit at Nevada's pro day. Showed soft hands as a receiver and ran routes exceptionally well. Runs well for his size and has excellent speed for the position. Can get downfield and deliver a pop. Defenders he blocks stay blocked and he keeps them turned away from the flow of the play. Reliable pass-blocker, physical against blitzers and in double-teams. Handles classic passes to the fullback in the flat well. Looks ball in, catches with his hands, gets turned upfield well. Very good hands - can make the one-handed catch, can grab passes thrown behind him or outside his frame. Fullback is his natural position. Can also play as a move-type H-back. Hard to get around as a blocker, harder to bring down as a ball-carrier. Very big ball-hawking LB, always around the ball.
Negatives: Won't beat anybody one-on-one downfield as a receiver. Doesn't show much elusiveness when he has the ball. Doesn't look explosive. NFL rushers will call on him to do more as a blocker than deliver a big initial hit. Has not played the position in three years, and only appears to have ever played there the one year at Oregon. His highlight film appears to come from intrasquad practices so level of competition is a question.
Fun Facts: Jerome's brother Jeremiah, a tailback at Oregon, signed with the Texans as a free agent. The brothers graduated from Dorsey High in Los Angeles, same high school as Keyshawn Johnson. It's also the alma mater of Sparky Anderson. Jerome was considered one of the best LBs in Southern California as a high schooler.
RamView: The Rams have used high draft picks in the past strictly on the basis of players having great workouts, thinking especially of the third-rounder completely wasted on Anthony Hargrove in 2004. And they've used far too many draft picks on guys they want to play a different position than they mainly played in college. Like the third rounder completely wasted on Eric Crouch in 2002. So Jerome Johnson at least comes at the right price. I'll be eager to see him at full speed. He's got terrific hands, he's a willing hitter and he's got intriguing timed speed. If that translates to the playing field, and he can block NFL-quality defenders, he'll have a shot to surprise more people than just the scouts that saw him at pro day. Thumbs ok.
Sources: Wikipedia, The Nevada Sagebrush, Las Vegas Sun, youtube.com, NevadaWolfPack.com, nevada.rivals.com
photo from stlouisrams.com
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