With one of the Tennessee Titans’ needs being at guard, Boston College’s Zion Johnson is a possibility for the team at No. 26 overall in the 2022 NFL draft — that is, if he’s still available at that point.
Johnson already has a connection to the Titans, as he was a teammate and roommate of head coach Mike Vrabel’s son, Tyler.
“He comes to the games, so I’ve had an opportunity to talk to him and meet him,” Johnson said of Vrabel, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “He’s a really good guy. I kind of get to meet him a bit through osmosis, through Tyler. They are very similar personalities, even though they may be kind of different. Tyler is a hilarious guy, and a great roommate. He was a great guy to play next to for so long. I wouldn’t have wanted to play next to anyone other than him.”
The 22-year-old, who has met with the Titans on multiple occasions leading up to the draft, heaped praise on the team’s culture, saying Tennessee is “a destination I’d love to go.”
“That’s a destination I’d love to go,” Johnson admitted. “I love their culture, some of the offensive line guys they’ve had – Rodger Saffold is one of the guys I’ve watched the most, and they just lost him. It would be great to go into that room and kind of fill that role.
“Taylor Lewan is a great left tackle; I’ve watched him quite a bit. Their right guard, Nate Davis, I started watching him a year ago and he has similar measurables to me, and he’s really good in the run game.”
As far as what he brings to the table, Johnson says he is reliable, dedicated, and won’t run into issues off the field.
“I am reliable,” he said. “I am not an off-the-field issue. I am someone who is going to be the first one in, last one out. I am someone who can lead, whether it is by example or by being vocal, whatever the situation requires. First and foremost, I want to win. I want to go somewhere where the culture is about winning.”
Johnson is one of my personal favorites among the Titans’ possibilities at No. 26 overall and would be a great pick if he lands in Tennessee’s lap on Thursday night.
