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As we continue our Daily NFL Draft Prospect Profile series let's look at another inside linebacker who might interest our New York Giants.
Micah Johnson of Kentucky is a guy who is unlikely to go in the earliest rounds of the April draft. He is, however, one of those guys the Giants might consider in the middle rounds if they have not yet addressed the need to provide competition for Jonathan Goff.
Let's take a closer look.
Micah Johnson Scouting Reports
From The Football Expert.
Johnson is a linebacker that plays with a great motor. He seems to be around the football every time he steps foot on the field. He has great size and displays good strength. I love his ability to react to the football. He does an exceptional job at reading plays; which is vital for the ILB position. Johnson’s main area of concern is his consistency. Consistency is one of the hardest things to improve, but Johnson needs to in order to improve his overall draft stock. Another area that stands out to me is the fact that he makes a lot of good plays, but hardly any of them are game changing plays. He makes numerous stops behind and along the line of scrimmage; and that is excellent for a ILB; however, in order to take Johnson’s game to the next level I would love to see more game changing plays (INTs, sacks, forced fumbles ect...). Overall, Johnson has a tremendous upside, an excellent skill set, and the potential to be a great threat at the ILB position in the NFL.
From Fantasy Football Toolbox.
Johnson is an imposing physical specimen -- standing at 6'2'' and 258 pounds. ... He has decent speed -- around 4.7 in the 40-yard dash -- but he still needs to improve in that area if he wants to be a star at the next level. Johnson is a huge hitter, especially when he gets a full head of steam behind him, but he struggles just a bit at changing direction so he sometimes has trouble against smaller, shiftier running backs. He is not, however, going to get overpowered. ... Right now Johnson looks to be off the board early on Day 2 of the 2010 NFL Draft. However, his athleticism should provide for a stellar performance at the combine, so moving up is a very real possibility.
From the National Football Post.
Johnson does a nice job taking on blocks at the point of attack ... He showcases only average range once he gets up to speed but lacks a great first step and struggles to breakdown on contact. He has a tough time making tackles in the open field and doesn't exhibit much range as a tackler. He possesses only average instincts at the line of scrimmage, has a tendency to run himself out of plays and lacks the overall athleticism to make up for a false step.
Johnson is a powerful hitter between the tackles. He exhibits the ability to fill run lanes and wraps up and brings his legs with nearly perfect technique. He's a powerful tackler. ... Overall, he can be effective in a phone booth and ideally could make a living as a 3-4 ILB. However, he can't play in space and looks more like a two-down linebacker.
Why Johnson fits with the Giants
He is a huge middle linebacker and reputed to be a very stout run defender. We all know the Giants could use a guy like that. If they don't address the MLB need in free agency or the first couple of rounds he is a guy they might need to consider in the middle to late rounds.
Why the Giants should pass
Because some think Johnson is better suited for a 3-4. I don't know if that's true, but it's a consideration. I am also not sure about his ability to get the deep drops required in a Tampa 2 type defense, which the Giants are likely to use at least somewhat.
(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com. Follow Big Blue View on Twitter.)