By Mark Eckel, Player Engagement Insider
After an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl, followed by another good showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson knew his stock has risen in the 2013 NFL Draft, he just didn’t know how high.
“I had heard after my senior season, maybe second, third round,’’ Johnson, entering his fourth year with the Philadelphia Eagles, said. “So the biggest thing for me was to go to the Senior Bowl and show what I could do against the best players. That was a big week for me to show I could compete against the best in the nation.
“The Combine was icing for me. I knew I would go there and post good times and move up the (draft) boards even more.’’
Johnson, who played both the defensive line and tight end before becoming a full-time tackle his junior year at Oklahoma, accomplished what he had set out to do. After a good week in Mobile, Ala. for the Senior Bowl and another good week in Indianapolis at the Combine, NFL teams took notice.
“When the Senior Bowl week was over, I heard I would go first round,’’ Johnson said. “Then, after the Combine I started to hear top 10. But you never know if what you’re hearing is true.’’
There are more rumors leading up to the NFL Draft than there are in a Hollywood gossip column. For a player whose future depends on what happens that weekend in late April, it can cause a good level of anxiety.
“The Draft is a fun process, but it can be nerve-wracking as well,’’ Johnson said. “You just want to get it over with, though, because it’s such a long, drawn out process. I just wanted to find out where I was going and get there.’’
It didn’t take long.
In a unique draft, the 2013 class saw three tackles go off the board in the first four picks.
“I had a feeling I would be the third guy of the three,’’ Johnson said. “I had potential, at least that’s what I was told. But I wasn’t as polished as those other two guys at the time of the Draft since I had just started playing tackle.’’
The Kansas City Chiefs, with the No. 1 overall pick, took tackle Eric Fisher out of Central Michigan University. The Jacksonville Jaguars followed with tackle Luke Joeckel, of Texas A&M, with the No. 2 overall pick.
When the Miami Dolphins traded up into the No. 3 spot, Johnson thought he was headed to South Beach. The Dolphins, along with the Eagles, Lions and Cardinals had shown the most interest. So when they made the trade, Johnson thought that was it. Except, Miami took University of Oregon linebacker Dion Jordan, instead.
“I really thought I was going to Miami,’’ Johnson said. “I interviewed with them and thought it went well. When they traded up, I thought that was where I was headed. But once they took Dion, and the Eagles were up next, I knew that’s where I was going.’’
Johnson started from day one at right tackle for the Eagles and signed a new six-year, $66 million contract in January that will keep him in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.
“I think any time you go in the first round, and at the top of the first round, there’s pressure,’’ Johnson said. “And especially in Philly, that’s probably the biggest media market in the NFL, along with New York, so everybody is evaluating you, seeing if you’re worthy of that spot. So, yeah, there’s some pressure there.’’
Does Johnson have advice for the members of the 2016 NFL Draft Class who will be going through the same tribulations he did in 2013?
“Limit the distractions and just focus on what you have to do,’’ he said. “Don’t get caught up in what other people say or think and just concentrate on what really matters, football, weight lifting, nutrition. And just take it one day at a time.’’