| James-Michael Johnson Scouting Report |
| James-Michael Johnson - Nevada (HT: 6-1⅛ - WT: 241) |
Positives -- Has good mix of size and speed, has prototypical frame and bulk for the inside linebacker position... Good production in two seasons as team captain at Nevada (188 tackles, four sacks, four forced fumbles, five pass break-ups)... No durability issues, did not miss any time due to injury in final
four seasons... Does a good job reading the eyes of the quarterback in underneath coverage, shows surprisingly good change of direction ability when breaking on the ball in the air... Shows good pop with his hands at contact, uses hands well to disengage from blockers with longer arms... Can tackle with a lot of pop, is a good wrap-up tackler who has the ability to drag down larger backs or jar the ball loose at contact... Has experience at both inside and outside linebacker positions, versatility and experience could be big selling point in the draft... Has decent arsenal of pass-rushing moves from the inside, can shoot gaps effectively and mix in rip and swim moves when called for.
Negatives -- Has good upper-body strength but lacks elite fluidity and athleticism, appears inflexible and relies too heavily on trying to overpower blockers... Not an ideal cover-two linebacker, does not always get deep enough in middle-of-the-field zone coverage, range in pass coverage seems below average... Does not display very soft hands, ball skills are average at best for the position... Can get caught peeking in the backfield and get too easily blocked away from plays, allows blockers into his pads too often... Sometimes takes on blocks with the wrong shoulder giving up gap responsibility allowing for big plays... Gives up legs to blockers too easily, overly susceptible to cut blocks in the box... Takes inconsistent pursuit angle at times, seems to lack an elite motor, will sometimes give up on plays when away from the ball... Is not a unique player in any particular area of the game, has a relatively high floor but limited ceiling in the NFL.
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| Combine Results |
| Height |
› |
6011 |
| Weight |
› |
241 |
| Arm |
› |
32⅞ |
| Hand |
› |
9⅜ |
| 40-Time |
› |
4.68 |
| Vertical |
› |
37 |
| Broad |
› |
10'4" |
| Bench Press |
› |
23 |
| Shuttle |
› |
4.37 |
| Cone |
› |
7.34 |
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At Nevada -- (Official School Bio) 2010: Was named a team captain in voting by his teammates and earned second-team All-WAC honors as a linebacker... Led the team and was among WAC leaders with 88 tackles on the year from his new middle linebacking spot after switching from the outside prior to the season... Set a career high with 10 tackles in a win at BYU... Eclipsed that with 11 tackles in a come-from-behind win at Fresno State... Notched 8.0 tackles for loss on the season, including 2.5 sacks for a loss of 17 yards... Forced three fumbles during the year and also recovered a fumble... Was credited with a pair of pass breakups... Had no fewer than four tackles in any game during the course of the season. 2009: Had a strong sophomore campaign, earning second-team All-WAC honors for the first time in his career... Started all 12 games at one of the outside linebacker spots and excelled with 57 tackles, including 11.5 for a loss... Started strong with 10 tackles at Notre Dame and had a TFL in half of the team's games... Notched second career interception with a pick against New Mexico State... Was credited with five pass breakups... Was a force in a victory over Fresno State, registering six tackles, including a career-high 4.0 for a loss... Named third-team Preseason All-WAC by Phil Steele's College Football Preview... Named second-team Preseason All-WAC by Athlon Sports. 2008: Recorded one of the best seasons among freshmen on the team... Was sixth on the team in tackles during the season with 49... Was third on the team in tackles for a loss with 12.5 for a loss of 32 yards... Had 1.5 sacks... Best game came at Louisiana Tech with nine tackles, including 2.5 for a loss... Notched first career interception at Hawaii... Forced a fumble against Idaho... Played in all 13 games with 10 starts.
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