Scouting Report: Micah Johnson ILB, Kentucky

Ht: 6'2 Wt: 258 40: 4.84

Strengths: Good height and frame for position, Keeps his head up looking for the football, is very good at reading plays and filling the gaps. He also shows a great reaction time when he locates the football. Knows how to fight off blocks well, however needs to work on being more consistent. Great lateral movement and fluid hips, good instinct to where the football is and knows how to take proper angles. He shows good range in coverage zones as well as covering backs out of the backfield. Shows great strength and good flashes of hitting ability. Does a tremendous job at keeping his eyes on runner's stomach in order not to get juked out. He seems to be around the football after every play. He is a productive player for the Wildcats defense and is a versatile player; he will be able to play ILB in both 3-4 or 4-3 defensive schemes.

Weaknesses: Does not have elite speed (4.84 at his pro day). He does not accelerate through hits. He can often overpursue. He could improve his tackling skills and techniques to become more reliable. He needs to be more consistent. He often doesn't seen quick enough when shuffling down the line; this could be improved. Although he shows good flashes of hitting ability, I would like to see more consistency. Is not an elite blitzer. Does not make many game changing plays. He missed postseason with a knee injury.

Summary: Johnson, one of the leaders of the Wildcat defense, is a linebacker that plays with a great motor. He seems to be around the football every time he steps foot on the field. He has great size and displays good strength. I love his ability to react to the football. He does an exceptional job at reading plays; which is vital for the ILB position. Along with Johnson's strengths, there are concerns. Consistency is something that he needs improvement on. Consistency is one of the hardest things to improve, but Johnson needs to in order to improve his overall draft stock. His injury this season really hurt his draft stock as well. That may have had an effect on why he ran so slow at the combine and his Pro Day. Another area that stands out to me is the fact that he makes a lot of good plays, but hardly any of them are game changing plays. He makes numerous stops behind and along the line of scrimmage; and that is excellent for a ILB; however, in order to take Johnson's game to the next level I would love to see more game changing plays (INTs, sacks, forced fumbles ect...). Overall, Johnson has a tremendous upside, an excellent skill set, and the potential to be a great threat at the ILB position in the NFL.

Draft Projection: 4th\5th round