The final day of the NFL combine did not fail to meet its expectations. As the week-long affair finally ended, fans were again treated to some exquisite performances. In particular, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. put up some stats that could see him becoming the first offensive lineman to be drafted.
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Johnson was the highlight on a day fans were eager to see another potential top OL in action, Broderick Jones. Jones’ sack-less season has pitted him to be the top O-line prospect this season. However, it seems Johnson could be a marginally better player, after his Combine performance. All thanks to his mother, according to Johnson.
Paris Johnson praises his mother for making him successful
While his on-field antics have certainly been impressive, he is enamoring fans with his attitude off the field too. One particular interview during the workouts seems to have gripped fans’ attention. With his mother by his side, Johnson takes the moment to thank her for her blind faith in his abilities, and for all the effort she put in to bring him to this point in his life.
“Mom, if it weren’t for you and all the sacrifice you gave up, the blind faith to continue to believe I would work this hard and schools like Ohio State would take a chance on me, I want to thank you. Because you worked without seeing the end result but it’s all starting to show. So I appreciate that,” he said.
Johnson solidifies his bid to be the top O-Line prospect in this year’s draft
Though love for one’s mother may not make you the best player in a category, workout stats might just help push things in your favor. Which is exactly what Paris Johnson has been doing. Jones’ workouts happened right after Johnson’s, and this gave fans and analysts a chance to look at them side by side. Judging by the early reactions, it seems Johnson might have the edge over Jones.
The 6’1″, 207-pound behemoth set a time of 4.71 seconds on the 40-yard dash. He also managed to clear 35 inches on the vertical leap, and 117 inches on the broad jump. He also recorded 16 reps on the bench press, further cementing his position in the draft. While once can be sure he will be picked in the first round, the question is, will he be the first O-Lineman to be picked?
