Jermaine Johnson, the next star linebacker on the Jets defense in the 2024 NFL season
Jermaine Johnson has developed into a promising linebacker for the New York Jets. He was drafted with the 26th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the third player the Jets selected in the first round after cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson. Johnson had a decent rookie season, finishing with 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. His best play was in Week 9 against Buffalo when he beat his blocker and used his relentless motor to sack Bills quarterback Josh Allen behind the line of scrimmage.
The next year, Jermaine made a huge jump in production. He had 55 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 touchdown and 7 pass deflections. His best highlight was when he had 1 pass deflection and 1 interception returned for 37 yards versus the Cleveland Browns in Week 16 on Thursday Night Football. Near midfield he won his matchup against the tight end David Njoku and pressured the quarterback Joe Flacco. As the QB attempted to throw the football to Njoku, Johnson jumped in front of the passer, tipped the ball to himself and returned it into the end zone for a touchdown. He used his intelligence to read the play-action to the running back and his athleticism to beat his blocker and make a play on the ball for the pick six.
Head coach Robert Saleh had high praise for the linebacker after the game.
“You got to be a freak to be able to do something like that. He’s got freakish athleticism, instincts. You got to be extremely instinctive. Freakish athletes make freakish plays, and then he’s definitely one of those.”
Johnson is not just a one trick pony. Not only does he pressure the QB but he also tackles running backs behind the line of scrimmage for loss of yards. “He gets after the quarterback. He’s awesome in the run game,” said his head coach.
Jermaine had such an impact during the 2023 season that he was selected to his first Pro Bowl. With his athleticism and intelligence, getting 10 sacks in the 2024 season would not be out of the question. As he continues to develop his skills, he has a chance to make multiple Pro Bowls for Gang Green and become an NFL star linebacker.
Robert Saleh agrees.
“He had an unbelievable offseason, put in a lot of work and it’s so cool just to watch a young man who put in the work that he needed to in the offseason to reap the rewards of his labor. He’s doing a great job, grossly underrated in my opinion, but he’s going to be good for a long time.”
