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 NCAA Scouting – Player Profile:
Josh Johnson, QB
by Sam Monson
21/4/2008
We’ve spent a while bringing you prospect profiles of all the major prospects here at the Diner, as well as a series of sleeper picks to keep an eye on. Josh Johnson doesn’t quite fit into either category, but we’re going to let you in on a secret that’s been whispering its way into the public domain over the last few months.
 The secret has been leaking out; the draft world is now coming around to the idea that Johnson is a real prospect, and might be the kind of ‘intriguing prospect’ that teams want to take a shot on in the 2nd or 3rd round. Most people however would also place him behind the likes of Flacco, Henne and Brohm in the second tier of quarterbacks. This is where this piece differs, because Johnson isn’t in the third tier of quarterbacks available, he’s not in the second tier of quarterbacks available. Josh Johnson is the best quarterback in the 2008 draft, and he can’t see the next best guy in his rear view mirror.
Josh Johnson was barely recruited by Division 1 schools, due largely to his small size, but also because of a bad injury he had suffered as a junior in high school. Those schools missed the clues to his talent that he left during his senior season, when he passed for 22 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. He enrolled at San Diego and now leaves having completed 68% of his passes, throwing 113 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions in 1,065 attempts. He threw a pick only once every 71 attempts, and a touchdown once every 9 attempts.
Coach Jim Harbaugh implemented a pro-style offense at San Diego, and prepared Johnson for the NFL like no other college QB. He coached from the day I got to USU as if I was in the NFL said Johnson. Johnson even talks like an NFL quarterback, showing the kind of maturity that the NFL usually spends years trying to get into its young passers. In our offense, there was always a check-down, so take it. Coach just told me to take what they give you, if you’re not able to do anything then you can always throw it away.
 During his senior season, Josh Johnson threw 43 touchdown passes and just a single interception. That interception wasn’t even his fault – it was a tipped ball that hit his receiver right in the chest. Johnson dominated his competition like no other player has ever dominated. He leaves San Diego as the NCAA all-time record holder in passer efficiency, but none of these mind-blowing stats explain why he’s the best quarterback in the draft. The numbers make people curious, but the game film shows his talent.
During the East-West Shrine Game, Johnson started ‘badly’, completing only one of his first five passes. The stats won’t show you that those five passes were all perfect, showing off an arm that was accurate, powerful, and capable of putting exceptional touch on the ball. He showed he was more than capable of making good decisions with the football, and knew when to tuck it away and take off.
Johnson has uncanny accuracy, and is amongst the most accurately armed quarterbacks to come out of college, ever, and may be the most accurate since Daunte Culpepper in 1999. He shows a great ability to scan the entire field, and anticipate throwing lanes. He can see a pass opening up and deliver it to the right spot before the receiver is there. Despite his slight frame he shows the ability to throw the ball deep as well as fire passes with zip across the middle and on the deep out routes the staple NFL litmus test.
 Then there’s his ability when he takes off and runs. Johnson runs in the 4.4s. That’s faster than a lot of running backs and receivers, and faster than ALL the tight ends in this draft. He’s faster than half of the guys he’s throwing the ball to. When this kid takes off, linebackers and defensive linemen don’t have a chance. If he has an opening, he’s at the second level, and you’re relying on defensive backs to take him down. That kind of speed enables him to pick up first downs with ease when the pass breaks down, and that’s crucial for an offense to keep the chains moving. The only question mark is the level of competition he faced at San Diego, but that argument is dampened by the way he was able to absolutely destroy the level of competition he did face, and the way he continued that dominance when he stepped up in competition at the Shrine Game.
Josh Johnson has none of the question marks that the other top quarterback prospects in this draft have, including Matt Ryan, and he has a tonne more upside, and numbers that none of them can dream of. Johnson is the complete package at quarterback, and despite playing in a small school, has had experience of professional quality coaching, and time operating the West Coast Offense. This time next year there are going to be 31 teams who wonder how on earth they passed on this kid and allowed somebody to pick him up on day 2.
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