After going offense with their first two selections, the Carolina Panthers select outside linebacker D.J. Johnson out of Oregon in the third round.
Johnson, a former tight end, has added a lot of weight and strength to become a more power-focused pass rusher. He has a good bit of work to do in the run game. He had six sacks, but just two tackles for a loss in the run game last season for the Ducks.
He’ll be stuck in the depth chart for a while, not a pick of urgency for a team that still needs some bigger help elsewhere, especially when they traded up. Third round is a bit early for a work in progress player like Johnson, but he does have some potential.
Grade: D
