Darryl Johnson, EDGE, North Carolina A&T Aggies
On the defensive side of the ball, Johnson presents an even more interesting case. He was productive for the Aggies, racking up 10.5 sacks with 19 tackles for a loss and 50 total tackles in 2018. His presence off the edge helped translate those numbers into wins. The team went 10-2, and he memorably strip-sacked Jacksonville State’s quarterback inside his own red zone to preserve a three-point victory in the season opener.
Johnson won MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, but he did so as a redshirt junior, leaving college with a year of eligibility left. The previous two award winners in the conference were Leonard and fellow South Carolina State standout Jason Hargrave, who also became an immediate NFL stater. At 6-foot-5, Johnson has ideal height, but he lacks some size at just 230 pounds. Johnson presents a high upside, but also the most lingering questions of the trio going into the NFL Combine.
Johnson would be one of more than 70 Aggies to play in a professional football league, including Hall of Fame defensive end Elvin Bethea, Robert “Stonewall” Jackson and current Bears running back Tarik Cohen.
