jday
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Draft analysis 2008 -
Curtis Johnson is a player that most people do not know. The senior from Clark Atlanta’s name cannot be said to be on the tips of many people’s tongues, and he might be the best kept secret of this draft. Before going to the Division II school, Johnson attended two years of JUCO, where he played very well. He has that first step that will burn you, and the second step that will kill you.
Another analysis -
Overview - One of the best-kept secrets in college football entering his senior campaign, the well-traveled rush end opened more than a few eyes in the scouting circles with his stellar performance in postseason action and a dominating 2007 final campaign.
With his quickness off the edge and ability to fly to the ball, Johnson could be in for another "change of scenery" in the NFL, with a possible move to outside linebacker
Analysis Positives: Has a rare-sized frame with room to carry more bulk...Has an athletic physique, good muscle definition in his arms and legs, firm midsection, good bubble, low body fat and thick thighs and calves...Type of player whose short-area burst off the line needs to be accounted for on every snap...Will play with bumps and bruises and is willing to handle whatever the coaches ask from him...Has very good agility closing on the ball (stays lower in his pads vs. plays in front of him than when having to cover vs. the pass)...Nice guy off the field, but his personality quickly changes on the field (plays with total aggression)...Self-motivated type with good balance and foot speed closing on outside running plays...Has a violent hand punch that will generally see him gain advantage over a lethargic blocker...True warrior that coaches won't have to worry about motivating him...When he locates the ball, he closes in a hurry and does a good job of squaring up before taking on the isolated blocker (not stout to split double teams working inside, but still shows willingness)...If he gets his hands on an opponent, he can stack blockers and getting off his man to redirect and fill the rush lanes...Maintains good separation when he extends his arms in combat and when he shoots his hands with force, he has good success in shedding...Gives excellent chase along the perimeter to cut off the runner and stays on his feet well, doing a nice job of stringing out plays...Alert enough to locate the tiny creases up front, doing a nice job of getting "skinny" to slip and avoid blocks when working inside...Even when he gets caught out of position, he shows urgency getting back into the play...Has good eyes to read the quarterback, timing his jumps to easily track the ball when on the move (has problems finding the ball in a crowd)...Even though he has a strong hand punch, he gets most of his success as a pass rusher when he avoids the bigger people blocking up front...Plays with good effort in pursuit and has a better angle concept vs. the run than when covering vs. the pass...Can clear his feet and run a long way to deliver a crunching tackle...Good open field striker who consistently stops the ballcarrier's forward progress, thanks mostly to strong arm swipes and above average hand usage...Does a better job shadowing tight ends and backs underneath than when dropping back into the zone...Has a quick burst to close on plays in front of him...Not a natural hands catcher going for the interception, but has good leaping ability and timing to compete for the jump balls...Most effective when running stunts because of his quickness, as he is dangerous whether rushing off the edge or bull rushing inside (only when he keeps his pads down)...Stays alive and squeezes the pocket well...Can generate good power on his initial surge and has developed a strong rip move to rock the blockers back on their heels...Does a nice job of protecting his feet on the move...Has great timing as a gunner on special teams, adding more value to his resume with his pedigree on these units.
Negatives: For a down lineman, he lacks ideal bulk and strength to play at the point at the next level, as bigger blockers will have success bouncing and pushing him around, especially when working in-line...Has good quickness coming off the edge, but has just decent timed playing speed...Instinctive player, but has had some academic issues and needs several reps to retain (might not be able to digest a complicated playbook, especially if it will be at multiple positions)...As a down lineman, he needs to generate a better hand punch and usage (gets his hands outside his frame at times, letting blockers lock on and wash him off the ball)...Works down the line, but must be more alert to blocking schemes, as he will get hooked on occasion...More of a speed rusher when playing with his hand down, but does not have the anchor to hold ground vs. double teams...More of a collision-type tackler, but did show improvement with his technique as a senior, keeping his pad level down to wrap up and secure...Better attacking the backfield coming off the edge, as he doesn't have the raw power to get a good push when playing the blocker head-up...Quick to locate the ball on the move, but will sometimes lose sight of the pigskin when working through trash...Shows good hip wiggle and lateral range, but must work on smoothing out his backpedal and staying lower in his pads, as he gets too tall in his stance, causing him to cross over with his feet, taking false steps in transition (showed a penchant for getting up on his heels in his pedal, looking awkward trying to come out of his breaks cleany)....Will need time to get comfortable playing with his back to the ball covering receivers on their routes, if he shifts to linebacker...Still a work in progress understanding taking proper angles and driving for depth in his pass drops.
Compares To: JOEY PORTER-Miami...When Porter converted from college defensive end to pro linebacker, he was raw in his first few years before the light clicked upstairs. Johnson is not as instinctive as Porter in locating the ball and will need to totally revamp his pass drop and coverage skills, but he has a violent hand punch to overpower big blockers and a good burst off the edge to be a superb edge rusher. His strong hands have seen him have good success dislodging ballcarriers from the ball. With his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield, he will bring instant value in pass-rushing situations. He is also a very capable coverage defender on special teams. The big thing here will be getting Johnson a patient coach. Doing so could unearth a Pro Bowler before long. He was tried at both inside and outside linebacker in postseason all-star action and held up very well on the edge. The mental aspect of playing inside will be too much for him to grasp at this early stage of his possible shift to a stand-up defender from one with his hand on the ground. Look for Johnson to become the first noteworthy CAU product since former NFL fullback Chuck Evans (1993-2000), who was drafted in the 11th round in 1992.
If you read the bolded portions and consider that the Colts drafted him as and kept him as a DE, you might come to the conclusion that the Cowboy's have signed a pretty good find for OLB. As a pure pass rusher, he could defintely be a good acquisition.
Curtis Johnson is a player that most people do not know. The senior from Clark Atlanta’s name cannot be said to be on the tips of many people’s tongues, and he might be the best kept secret of this draft. Before going to the Division II school, Johnson attended two years of JUCO, where he played very well. He has that first step that will burn you, and the second step that will kill you.
Another analysis -
Overview - One of the best-kept secrets in college football entering his senior campaign, the well-traveled rush end opened more than a few eyes in the scouting circles with his stellar performance in postseason action and a dominating 2007 final campaign.
With his quickness off the edge and ability to fly to the ball, Johnson could be in for another "change of scenery" in the NFL, with a possible move to outside linebacker
Analysis Positives: Has a rare-sized frame with room to carry more bulk...Has an athletic physique, good muscle definition in his arms and legs, firm midsection, good bubble, low body fat and thick thighs and calves...Type of player whose short-area burst off the line needs to be accounted for on every snap...Will play with bumps and bruises and is willing to handle whatever the coaches ask from him...Has very good agility closing on the ball (stays lower in his pads vs. plays in front of him than when having to cover vs. the pass)...Nice guy off the field, but his personality quickly changes on the field (plays with total aggression)...Self-motivated type with good balance and foot speed closing on outside running plays...Has a violent hand punch that will generally see him gain advantage over a lethargic blocker...True warrior that coaches won't have to worry about motivating him...When he locates the ball, he closes in a hurry and does a good job of squaring up before taking on the isolated blocker (not stout to split double teams working inside, but still shows willingness)...If he gets his hands on an opponent, he can stack blockers and getting off his man to redirect and fill the rush lanes...Maintains good separation when he extends his arms in combat and when he shoots his hands with force, he has good success in shedding...Gives excellent chase along the perimeter to cut off the runner and stays on his feet well, doing a nice job of stringing out plays...Alert enough to locate the tiny creases up front, doing a nice job of getting "skinny" to slip and avoid blocks when working inside...Even when he gets caught out of position, he shows urgency getting back into the play...Has good eyes to read the quarterback, timing his jumps to easily track the ball when on the move (has problems finding the ball in a crowd)...Even though he has a strong hand punch, he gets most of his success as a pass rusher when he avoids the bigger people blocking up front...Plays with good effort in pursuit and has a better angle concept vs. the run than when covering vs. the pass...Can clear his feet and run a long way to deliver a crunching tackle...Good open field striker who consistently stops the ballcarrier's forward progress, thanks mostly to strong arm swipes and above average hand usage...Does a better job shadowing tight ends and backs underneath than when dropping back into the zone...Has a quick burst to close on plays in front of him...Not a natural hands catcher going for the interception, but has good leaping ability and timing to compete for the jump balls...Most effective when running stunts because of his quickness, as he is dangerous whether rushing off the edge or bull rushing inside (only when he keeps his pads down)...Stays alive and squeezes the pocket well...Can generate good power on his initial surge and has developed a strong rip move to rock the blockers back on their heels...Does a nice job of protecting his feet on the move...Has great timing as a gunner on special teams, adding more value to his resume with his pedigree on these units.
Negatives: For a down lineman, he lacks ideal bulk and strength to play at the point at the next level, as bigger blockers will have success bouncing and pushing him around, especially when working in-line...Has good quickness coming off the edge, but has just decent timed playing speed...Instinctive player, but has had some academic issues and needs several reps to retain (might not be able to digest a complicated playbook, especially if it will be at multiple positions)...As a down lineman, he needs to generate a better hand punch and usage (gets his hands outside his frame at times, letting blockers lock on and wash him off the ball)...Works down the line, but must be more alert to blocking schemes, as he will get hooked on occasion...More of a speed rusher when playing with his hand down, but does not have the anchor to hold ground vs. double teams...More of a collision-type tackler, but did show improvement with his technique as a senior, keeping his pad level down to wrap up and secure...Better attacking the backfield coming off the edge, as he doesn't have the raw power to get a good push when playing the blocker head-up...Quick to locate the ball on the move, but will sometimes lose sight of the pigskin when working through trash...Shows good hip wiggle and lateral range, but must work on smoothing out his backpedal and staying lower in his pads, as he gets too tall in his stance, causing him to cross over with his feet, taking false steps in transition (showed a penchant for getting up on his heels in his pedal, looking awkward trying to come out of his breaks cleany)....Will need time to get comfortable playing with his back to the ball covering receivers on their routes, if he shifts to linebacker...Still a work in progress understanding taking proper angles and driving for depth in his pass drops.
Compares To: JOEY PORTER-Miami...When Porter converted from college defensive end to pro linebacker, he was raw in his first few years before the light clicked upstairs. Johnson is not as instinctive as Porter in locating the ball and will need to totally revamp his pass drop and coverage skills, but he has a violent hand punch to overpower big blockers and a good burst off the edge to be a superb edge rusher. His strong hands have seen him have good success dislodging ballcarriers from the ball. With his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield, he will bring instant value in pass-rushing situations. He is also a very capable coverage defender on special teams. The big thing here will be getting Johnson a patient coach. Doing so could unearth a Pro Bowler before long. He was tried at both inside and outside linebacker in postseason all-star action and held up very well on the edge. The mental aspect of playing inside will be too much for him to grasp at this early stage of his possible shift to a stand-up defender from one with his hand on the ground. Look for Johnson to become the first noteworthy CAU product since former NFL fullback Chuck Evans (1993-2000), who was drafted in the 11th round in 1992.
If you read the bolded portions and consider that the Colts drafted him as and kept him as a DE, you might come to the conclusion that the Cowboy's have signed a pretty good find for OLB. As a pure pass rusher, he could defintely be a good acquisition.
