Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay Agree Seattle Seahawks Must Target ‘Red Hot’ Rising Prospect Jermaine Johnson II

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Jermaine Johnson II stands at a whopping five foot, eight inches and weighs in at 228 pounds. He is the type of prospect that Seattle Seahawks’ general manager John Schneider has been hunting for years now.

Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay Agree Seattle Seahawks Must Target 'Red Hot' Rising Prospect Jermaine Johnson II

After dealing quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks seem to be starting over in 2022. The franchise received the No. 9 selection in this year’s NFL draft as a result of the deal, and it will utilize that choice to begin the post-Wilson era.

Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of ESPN recently conducted a consensus top 10 mock draft and determined that the ideal choice for Seattle would be a young pass-rusher with an intriguing route to the NFL.

The offensive possibilities for the Seattle Seahawks at No. 9 are limited.

Florida State Seminoles defensive end Jermaine Johnson II during the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Florida State Seminoles. Johnson could be a Seattle Seahawks target in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Florida State Seminoles defensive end Jermaine Johnson II during the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Florida State Seminoles. Johnson could be a Seattle Seahawks target in the 2022 NFL Draft. David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Jermaine Johnson II

In the impending 2022 NFL Draft, general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll would want to choose an offensive stalwart at No. 9. The issue is that the guys they want are either gone, unworthy of a top-10 selection, or play in a position the Seahawks don’t need.

At No. 9, the Seahawks would be well served by a franchise offensive tackle. According to PFF, the team’s offensive line rated 25th in the NFL in 2021. LT Duane Brown, the team’s finest offensive lineman, will be 37 before the start of next season and will be a free agency, as will 30-year-old RT Brandon Shell is a character in the film Brandon Shell.

Despite this need, the top three tackles on the board, NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, Alabama’s Evan Neal, and Mississippi State’s Charles Cross, may all be unavailable. Trevor Penning of Northern Iowa is the next best option, but he’d be a stretch at No. 9.

After trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos, the team’s other quarterback position is in desperate need.

If he slips past the Detroit Lions at No. 2 and the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8, Liberty QB Malik Willis, a Wilson-like signal-caller, may be available at No. 10. While Willis is the finest quarterback available in 2022, most draft analysts believe he isn’t worth a top-ten selection.

Finally, wide receivers Drake London of USC and Garrett Wilson of Ohio State are two additional great offensive talents that might be available to the Seahawks. Spending a high first-round selection on WR makes little sense with Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf, and last year’s second-round pick D’Wayne Eskridge on the roster.

All of this points to defense as the best spot for the Seahawks to discover an outstanding player at No. 9, according to ESPN draft gurus Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, who feel Seattle should take a gamble on a talent who has been “red hot” in the pre-draft process.

The Seahawks will choose Jermaine Johnson II at No. 9 overall, according to Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay.

Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay conducted their consensus top 10 mock draft on this week’s ESPN First Draft podcast. When the Seattle Seahawks were selected ninth overall, the draftnik pair agreed that, as much as the team wanted to go offensive, the available players didn’t make sense.

Jermaine Johnson II of Florida State was Kiper’s suggestion at the time. The pick’s justification was described by a long-time draft analyst:

Schneider and Pete Carroll have a thing for pass rushers. Todd, Jermaine Johnson II is on fire. Those are the options available to you. Jermaine Johnson II has 70 tackles after Thibodeaux was released. In tackles, he was second on the squad. He led the team with 12 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. However, the way he bends the corner and then strip-sacks and enters is impressive. It’s difficult not to notice Seattle’s Jermain Johnson II.

Jermaine Johnson II was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL Draft, according to Mel Kiper Jr.

Johnson would be a fantastic fit for Seattle, according to McShay and his opponent.

Last season, the club ranked 22nd in scoring defense in the NFL and gave up the fifth-most yards to opponents. Against the pass, the Seahawks’ defense was much weaker. Seattle allowed opponents to throw for 4,513 yards, second only to the Baltimore Ravens.

Last season, the Seahawks’ defense had 34 sacks, which placed them T-22 in the NFL, and no team member had more than ten. Carlos Dunlop, 32, topped the squad with 8.5 points, followed by Rasheem Green and Darrell Taylor, who each had 6.5 points.

If Johnson continues to grow like he did with the Seminoles last season, he might significantly improve the Seahawks pass rush and defense as a whole.  

Jermaine Johnson II of Florida State is a defensive end for the Seminoles. 

#FSU EDGE Jermaine Johnson II has a lot of traits to get excited about. Power rusher that has high levels of strength as an edge setter and pass rusher. Executes a nice push-pull move and finish here with a strip sack TD vs. Clemson. pic.twitter.com/m3u8cp1qhn

— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) December 10, 2021

Jermaine Johnson II is a defensive end from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 254 pounds. The 23-year-old attended Independence Community College after high school (where she starred in Netflix’s Last Chance U) before transferring to Georgia for two seasons.

Johnson has a total of 20 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 16 games with the Bulldogs. For his senior year, he transferred once again, this time to FSU, where he enjoyed a breakthrough season.

According to Seminoles.com, Johnson almost quadrupled his two-year sack totals in 2021, with 12.0. And, as Mel Kiper Jr. pointed out, he had the second-most tackles on the team with 70. Johnson was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts.

Johnson performed well for a guy of his stature at the NFL Combine. He ran the 40-yard sprint in 4.57 seconds and had a 32-inch vertical and a 10-foot, 10-inch broad jump. Johnson has a 34-inch armspan, something pro football scouts seek for in a pass rusher.

Johnson’s size and athleticism throughout the selection process, paired with his productivity, has catapulted him to the top of the boards. In his January mock draft, Kiper had the edge-rusher outside the first round.

Now it seems like Johnson will be selected in the top 10, and the Seattle Seahawks would be a good fit if he makes it that far.

RELATED: Dan Orlovsky Likes Malik Willis’ ‘Josh Allen Type of Vibes’ in the NFL Draft

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