Kansas football: Kyron Johnson could be late-round steal in NFL Draft

With the 2022 NFL Draft less than one week away, there is one former Kansas Jayhawk who has positioned himself well to hear his name called. And the team that drafts him could be glad they did.

Kyron Johnson, former linebacker-turned-defensive end at KU, led the Jayhawks with 10 quarterback hurries, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, and 6.5 sacks (seventh in the Big 12) this past season. He also added four forced fumbles (third in the Big 12).

Those numbers earned Johnson a spot on Pro Football Focus’ All-Big 12 Second Team. He was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection in 2020.

Because of Johnson’s play this past season, he was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he first began to turn heads in impressive fashion.

Going up against likely first-round draft pick Trevor Penning, Johnson made his presence felt as he drove Penning back nearly five yards off the line during a drill.

He made an even more remarkable play when he drove offensive tackle prospect Abe Lucas to the ground during a drill near the endzone.

Johnson was known for having a high motor at Kansas and giving his all on every play. That’s something that should translate well to the next level and make him a dream for any coaching staff.

Something NFL coaches also love is speed, and Johnson put his on display in an eye-opening way during KU’s pro day last month.

Projected as a linebacker in the NFL, Johnson ran a 4.36 and 4.39 in his two attempts at the 40-yard dash.

Had he been invited to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, that would have given him the fastest time of any linebacker in attendance – and would have been the fastest 40-yard dash in combine history by a linebacker, breaking the record of 4.38 set by Shaquem Griffin in 2018.

The looks on the scouts’ faces at the end of that video tells you all you need to know about how impressive of a performance that was. That kind of explosive speed should have defensive and special teams coaches drooling at the mouth.

"“I wanted to show out and show people that I may not be one of these main-name people, but I’m going to show you why I can be a main-name person. I do it with my work ethic and the stuff that I do, the speed that I have, the qualities that I have that I can play any position,” Johnson told KUsports.com."

Though most draft sites and mock drafts project Johnson to go undrafted, long-time, Hall of Fame NFL executive and NFL.com Senior Analyst Gil Brandt lists Johnson as his No. 92 overall prospect on his annual pre-draft hot prospects list.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Johnson has already taken visits to the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

As he demonstrated many times at Kansas and during his pre-draft workouts, Johnson has the speed, heart, and determination to be a really good football player in the NFL. He has also shown a knack for getting to the quarterback and causing turnovers – traits that are highly sought after at the next level.

Whichever team decides to take a chance on him may end up with one of the biggest steals in this year’s draft.

The NFL Draft kicks off at 7 p.m. CT Thursday, April 28, on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network.