Jake Johnson, TE, North Carolina
Size:
Height: 6’6” | Weight: 240 lbs
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
“Jake Johnson is a versatile receiving tight end who uses his long frame and strong hands to attack the football and has a nose for finding space.”
Strengths:
Frame
Strong hands
Smooth mover
Catch radius
Space finding
Concerns:
Overall athletic ability
Contact throughout the route
Falls off of blocks
Touchdowns a result of scheme not talent
Film Analysis:
Jake Johnson was moved all around the formation for Texas A&M and did whatever was asked of him. He plays with a good motor when blocking and isn’t afraid to make contested catches or put his nose in it against a defensive end. His size, length, and positional versatility make him an interesting player in this class.
Johnson lined up as a true tight end, an out-wide receiver, and nearly every position in between. As a blocker, he initiates contact and plays with good pad level and the ‘want to’ to run block and pass protect. The effort is usually there and he wants to finish blocks when he can. From a receiver standpoint, he attempts to sell routes vertically and with his head through the route stem to manipulate defenders and create space for himself to operate. When the ball is in the air, that’s when his frame and strong hands flash. He attacks the ball in their air and finishes catches through contact. His length gives him an impressive catch radius as well.
Inexperience and overall athletic ability leave me wanting more from Johnson, who followed his brother, Max, to North Carolina for 2024. When blocking, he falls off of blocks due to hand location outside the frame. He struggles to separate against man coverage and when there’s contact at the top of the route. His foot speed and overall play speed suggest that he’s thinking instead of reading and reacting. He looked to win more as a result of scheme rather than winning on his talent.
In conclusion, Johnson plays with the effort you want as a blocker and is a big-bodied tight end with strong hands who has the upside to win in close contact and as a red-zone threat. But his inexperience and athletic ability limit his total upside in the NFL.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Scheme-specific contributor
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: LSU (2023), New Mexico (2023), Alabama (2023), Miami (2023)
