Bengals selected Ole Miss EDGE Cedric Johnson with the No. 214 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Coming off a year in which he started 10-of-12 games for the Rebels, Johnson (6’3/260) declared for the NFL draft after his true senior season and earned an invite to the Senior Bowl. In his final year at Ole Miss, he recorded 5.5 sacks, 6.5 TFL and a forced fumble. While his production may not stand out, his athleticism certainly does. For his size, Johnson ran an impressive 4.63s 40-yard dash (95th%) with a 1.60s 10-yard split (93rd%), in addition to 90th+ percentile jumping tests for a projectable 9.29 RAS. While currently underdeveloped as a pass rusher, these traits help to raise Johnson’s ceiling in the eyes of scouts and foreshadow future growth. He won in the SEC by playing with motor and active hands, a strategy that earned him an above average, but uninspiring, 70.7 PFF pass rush grade. As a run defender he has the strength and anchor to play but needs to evolve further as a block shedder. If he can improve in this area, Johnson could become a successful early down player while he refines his pass rush skill-set. Teams love a RAS freak, and Johnson will hear his name called on day three with a chance to develop into an early down specialist after a year of special teams service.
