Plenty of NFL edge rushers can get after the quarterback.
Many can set the edge.
Some have a great motor.
A few excel at deflecting passes, too.
Very few can do all of these things. The New York Jets are lucky enough to have a member of this rare breed: Jermaine Johnson.
Making his return from an Achilles tear, the 26-year-old defensive weapon is looking to pick up where he left off after the 2023 season. In a breakout sophomore campaign, Johnson proved he is one of the most well-rounded edge rushers in football.
It’s time to give Jets fans a refresher on the type of player their team is getting back in Johnson.
Jermaine Johnson’s all-around production is rare
Most NFL edge rushers are primarily known for their abilities in one of the game’s two phases. Those who are similarly productive against both the run and pass are extremely valuable, as they can be trusted to stay on the field in any situation.
Johnson is one of them.
In 2023, Johnson racked up 56 total pressures (26th among EDGE) and 20 run stops (T-16th), per Pro Football Focus. He was one of just 12 edge rushers who recorded 50+ pressures and 20+ run stops:
- T.J. Watt
- Nick Bosa
- Khalil Mack
- Maxx Crosby
- Tuli Tuipulotu
- Myles Garrett
- Will Anderson
- Bradley Chubb
- Alex Highsmith
- Danielle Hunter
- Carl Granderson
- Jermaine Johnson
On top of this, Johnson was one of the best edge rushers at deflecting passes. He recorded seven passes defended, which tied him for the fifth-most among edge rushers. The only edge rushers with 50+ total pressures, 20+ run stops, and 5+ passes defended were Johnson, Khalil Mack, and T.J. Watt. It is worth noting that Aidan Hutchinson missed the cut by one run stop (101 pressures, 19 run stops, 7 passes defended).
This is not to say that Johnson was quite as good of an overall player as those three superstars. Hutchinson, Mack (88 pressures), and Watt (86) were far ahead of Johnson as pass rushers. Still, it exemplifies how rare it is to find an edge rusher who makes a positive impact in so many ways.
We can go even further.
Another tremendous aspect of Johnson’s game is his ability to finish tackles. With long arms, a relentless motor, and fundamentally sound technique, Johnson rarely blows an opportunity to make a play. He finished 2023 with a missed tackle rate of 7.5%, which ranked sixth-lowest among edge rushers with at least 500 snaps. Johnson had just four missed tackles on the season.
What sets Johnson apart in this category is that he pulls it off while sustaining a high level of activity. There are many edge rushers in complementary edge-setting roles who tackle well on a low volume of chances, but it is rare to find an edge rusher who tackles efficiently while spending so much time around the football.
Outside of Johnson, only three other edge rushers had 50+ pressures, 20+ run stops, and a sub-10% missed tackle rate: Khalil Mack, Alex Highsmith, and Danielle Hunter.
If we lower the thresholds to 45+ pressures and 15+ run stops to go with a sub-10% missed tackle rate, four more Pro Bowl names join the list: Montez Sweat, Harold Landry, Cameron Jordan, and Micah Parsons.
Mack is the only one of those eight players who also had at least five passes defended. That means Johnson and Mack were the only edge rushers in the NFL with 45+ pressures, 15+ run stops, 5+ passes defended, and a sub-10% missed tackle rate.
Johnson truly does it all. He frequently pressures the quarterback. He stuffs the run. He gets his hands in the passing lanes. And he finishes plays.
Can Johnson return to this level of play?
Remember, Johnson did all of this in just his second season. Among those eight players with 45+ pressures, 15+ run stops, and a sub-10% missed tackle rate in 2023, Johnson was the only one with less than three years of experience.
Going into 2024, the hope was that Johnson could take another leap, particularly as a pass rusher, to place himself within the top tier of edge rushers in the NFL.
Johnson’s Achilles tear may derail those plans. In 2025, a realistic goal for Johnson is to simply replicate what he did in 2023. If he could do that off a major injury, the Jets would be thrilled.
It is fascinating, though, to wonder if Johnson can get back on track and take the leap he was destined for in 2024. He’s only 26 years old, is a freak athlete (9.58 RAS), and is known for his relentless work ethic.
Post-Achilles surges are not unprecedented in the NFL. After tearing his Achilles at age 29, former Ravens edge rusher Terrell Suggs came back to make two more Pro Bowls and rack up 54.5 more sacks. Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas tore his Achilles ahead of his second season, and responded with five consecutive Pro Bowls in years three through seven.
Before his Achilles tear in Tennessee, Johnson was already trending toward another leap.
Johnson got off to a slow start as a pass rusher in 2023; he gradually improved throughout the season. Through four games, he only had five pressures. From Week 5 onward, Johnson tied for 16th among edge rushers with 51 pressures.
This momentum carried into 2024. Through less than seven quarters of action, Johnson already had seven pressures. He was injured about 40 minutes into the Titans game, which means he had seven pressures in the equivalent of approximately 1.67 games. Project that over 17 games, and Johnson was on pace to finish the season with 71 pressures.
This would have ranked fifth at the position. Among edge rushers, these were the final leaders in pressures during the 2024 season:
- 1. Trey Hendrickson (83)
- 1. Myles Garrett (83)
- 3. Jonathan Greenard (80)
- 4. Jared Verse (77)
- Jermaine Johnson’s pace: 71
- 5. Micah Parsons (70)
- 6. Nick Bosa (69)
- 7. Chase Young (66)
- 7. Danielle Hunter (66)
- 9. Yaya Diaby (65)
- 10. Josh Hines-Allen (63)
- 10. Greg Rousseau (63)
- 10. Za’Darius Smith (63)
While it may be slightly optimistic to project less than two games’ worth of production over a full season, the projection is similar if we include Johnson’s post-Week 4 surge in 2023. From Week 5 of 2023 through Johnson’s Achilles injury, he recorded 58 pressures in 14.67 games. That would put him on pace for 67 pressures in 17 games, which still would have finished seventh in 2024 between Nick Bosa and Danielle Hunter/Chase Young.
Couple this level of pass-rush production with all the other strengths in his game, and Johnson has the ceiling of an absolute game-wrecker.
That is the best-case scenario, though. In the meantime, the Jets just want to see Johnson take his time to get back on the field in peak condition. From there, the goal is to replicate what he did in 2023. If that is all he can do in his first year post-Achilles, he would still be a great player.
But if his recovery goes smoothly, Johnson might not have to settle for merely sustaining his Year 2 production. By Week 1, Johnson will be nearly a full year removed from the injury. With his physical gifts and unyielding determination, don’t count Johnson out from picking up where he left off and continuing his upward trajectory.