Jermaine Johnson II

Last updated

Jermaine Johnson II
Jermaine Johnson II New York Jets NOV2023 (cropped).jpg
Johnson II with the New York Jets in 2023
No. 11 – New York Jets
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1999-01-07) January 7, 1999 (age 26)
Eden Prairie, Minnesota, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:254 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High school: Eden Prairie
College:
NFL draft: 2022: 1st round, 26th pick
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Total tackles:88
Sacks:10.0
Forced fumbles:1
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:7
Interceptions:1
Defensive touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jermaine Curtis Johnson II (born January 7, 1999) is an American professional football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida State Seminoles, where he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He also played junior college football for the Independence Pirates. Johnson was selected by the Jets in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life

Johnson grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and attended Eden Prairie High School. As a senior, he was named All-Metro after recording 37 tackles and seven sacks. [1] Johnson was academically ineligible to play NCAA Division I football after graduation. [2]

College career

Johnson began his collegiate career at Independence Community College. [3] While at Independence, he was featured in the fourth season of the Netflix documentary series Last Chance U , where he played under head coach Jason Brown. [4] As a freshman, he had 58 tackles, eight sacks and three forced fumbles. [5] Johnson transferred to the University of Georgia following the season. [6]

Johnson played in every game for the Georgia Bulldogs as a sophomore, where he had 20 tackles and 2.5 sacks. [7] As a senior, he finished third on the team with four sacks with 16 total tackles and 11 quarterback hurries. [8] Towards the end of the season, Johnson entered the transfer portal and enrolled at Florida State University for his final season of NCAA eligibility. [9] Johnson had seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in his first game for the Florida State Seminoles, a 41–38 overtime loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week. [10] [11] He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-ACC after he finished the season with 70 tackles and led the ACC with 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. [12]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split20-yard split Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 4+5⁄8 in
(1.95 m)		254 lb
(115 kg)		34 in
(0.86 m)		9+7⁄8 in
(0.25 m)		4.58 s1.59 s2.68 s32.0 in
(0.81 m)		10 ft 5 in
(3.18 m)		27 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [13] [14]

Johnson was selected in the first round with the 26th overall pick by the New York Jets in the 2022 NFL draft. [15] In week 14, against the Buffalo Bills, he blocked a punt that resulted in a safety. [16] As a rookie, he appeared in 14 games and recorded 2.5 sacks and 29 total tackles. [17] In week 17 of the 2023 season, he had 37-yard interception return for a touchdown against the Browns. [18] In the 2023 season, he started in all 17 games. He finished with 7.5 sacks, 55 total tackles, one interception, seven passes defended, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. [19]

On September 16, 2024, Johnson announced that he had suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the Jets' week 2 game against the Tennessee Titans, and would miss the remainder of the season as a result. [20]

On April 21, 2025, the Jets picked up the fifth-year option on Johnson's contract. [21]

References

  1. ↑ Shaver, Randy (November 18, 2016). "KARE 11 All-Metro Team 2016: Defense". KARE.com . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  2. ↑ Sudge, Brandon (December 20, 2018). "How Jermaine Johnson went from Kansas to Georgia Bulldogs". The Telegraph . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  3. ↑ Johnson, Bailey (December 9, 2020). "Linebacker Jermaine Johnson is coming into his own for Georgia". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  4. ↑ Paschall, David (December 20, 2019). "Jermaine Johnson adjusts from 'Last Chance U' stardom to limitations at Georgia". Chattanooga Times Free Press . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  5. ↑ Nemec, Andrew (July 10, 2018). "Jermaine Johnson, nation's No. 2 JC DE, includes Oregon Ducks in top 5". The Oregonian . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  6. ↑ Hill, Jordan D. (August 3, 2018). "Four-star defensive end Jermaine Johnson commits to Georgia". Miami Herald . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  7. ↑ Fuller, Marcus (September 12, 2020). "From 'Last Chance' to big chance for Eden Prairie's Jermaine Johnson at Georgia". Star Tribune . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  8. ↑ Weiszer, Marc (December 15, 2020). "UGA football LB Jermaine Johnson plans transfer". The Tennessean . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  9. ↑ Fernandez, Andre C. (July 22, 2021). "Jermaine Johnson II leading revitalization of Florida State defensive line". Tallahassee Democrat . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  10. ↑ Megargee, Steve (September 17, 2021). "Prospect watch: FSU's Johnson capitalizing on expanded role". The Seattle Times . Associated Press . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  11. ↑ Weiler, Curt (September 7, 2021). "FSU defensive end Jermaine Johnson named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week". Tallahassee Democrat . Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  12. ↑ Murschel, Matt (December 1, 2021). "FSU's Jermaine Johnson II named ACC Defensive Player of the Year". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  13. ↑ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Jermaine Johnson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  14. ↑ "2022 Draft Scout Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  15. ↑ Greenberg, Ethan (April 29, 2022). "Jets Select Florida State Edge Jermaine Johnson II with No. 26 Pick of 2022 NFL Draft". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  16. ↑ Lange, Randy (December 17, 2022). "Jermaine Johnson Enters the Safety Zone". New York Jets. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Jermaine Johnson 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  18. ↑ Werner, Barry (December 28, 2023). "Browns, Jets trade pick-sixes in the first half". Touchdown Wire. USA Today. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Jermaine Johnson II 2023 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  20. ↑ Cimini, Rich (September 16, 2024). "Jets DE Johnson announces he has torn Achilles". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  21. ↑ Smith, Michael David (April 21, 2025). "Jets to pick up fifth-year options on Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson II". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
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