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2017 NFL Draft: Florida State Roderick Johnson Scouting Report

By Jon Dove

Oct 3, 2015; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive lineman Roderick Johnson (77) lines up during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Florida State defeated Wake Forest 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive lineman Roderick Johnson (77) lines up during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Florida State defeated Wake Forest 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Florida State’s Roderick Johnson is an overhyped offensive line prospect who is still a work in progress.

Roderick Johnson features a long and athletic looking build. However, he doesn’t play with the type of athleticism based off his look. Johnson is stiff through the hips and has heavy feet. These are two major concerns when trying to project an offensive line prospect to the NFL.

Johnson has plenty of trouble working in space. He isn’t a natural bender and tends get his upper body extended over his base. This combined with his narrow base makes him unbalanced in his kick slide which also features wasted motion and duck arms.

He’s extremely susceptible to inside counter moves thanks to this lack of balance and change of direction issues.

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Johnson has issues protecting the edge because of his heavy feet. Too often, he becomes stationary which allows the pass rusher to gain the edge. This combined with his high pad level makes it tough for him to work against speedy defenders.

In the running game, he lacks the power to generate a push off the line of scrimmage. Johnson also needs to work on keeping his pads down so he can gain leverage and get some movement.

His run blocking skills are geared to a zone-blocking scheme. Johnson does a good job gaining inside hands and turning the defender. He’s reasonably quick off the ball which allows him to secure good positioning.

Despite all the negatives mentioned in this report Johnson has upside. He’s a work in progress who shows improvement as he gains more experience. His potential is tied to him getting stronger and improving his technique.

The progress he showed at the end of the year was thanks to him playing with a wider base and more balance. Luckily, there’s still plenty of time for Johnson to make adjustments and reach his potential.

Current Draft Status: 3rd Round

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