Zion Johnson

Zion Johnson (born November 18, 1999) is an American football guard for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Davidson before transferring to Boston College where was named an All-American in 2021. Johnson was drafted by the Chargers in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Zion Johnson
refer to caption
Johnson at Senior Bowl in 2022
No. 77 – Los Angeles Chargers
Position:Guard
Personal information
Born: (1999-11-18) November 18, 1999
Bowie, Maryland, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:316 lb (143 kg)
Career information
High school:Riverdale Baptist
(Upper Marlboro, Maryland)
College:
NFL Draft:2022 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2022
Games played:17
Games started:17
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early life and high school

Johnson was born on November 18, 1999, and grew up in Bowie, Maryland, before attending Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.[1] Before playing Football, Johnson played golf. While in high school and college, he was a pathways intern at the National Institutes of Health.[2]

College career

Johnson began his collegiate career at Davidson College. He played in all 22 of the Wildcats' games with 19 starts over two seasons and was named first team All-Pioneer Football League as a sophomore. Johnson transferred to Boston College following his sophomore year.[1] Johnson said "Boston College for me was a no-brainer" and that he chose it because the school was renowned academically.[3]

Johnson started seven games at left guard in his first season at Boston College and was named second team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) after he was named the conference Offensive Lineman of the Week three times.[4] He was moved to left tackle before his senior season and was named third team All-ACC after starting all 11 of the Eagles' games.[5] After considering entering the 2021 NFL Draft, Johnson decided to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic and return to Boston College for a fifth season[6] He moved back to the guard position for his final season and was named first team All-ACC and a first team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.[7]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 2+5⁄8 in
(1.90 m)		 312 lb
(142 kg)		 34 in
(0.86 m)		 10+5⁄8 in
(0.27 m)		5.18 s1.74 s2.97 s4.46 s7.38 s32.0 in
(0.81 m)		9 ft 4 in
(2.84 m)		32 reps
All values from NFL Combine[8][9]

Johnson was selected in the first round with the 17th overall pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2022 NFL Draft.[10] He was named the Chargers starting right guard as a rookie, starting all 17 games. In his second season, he was moved to left guard, his natural position in college.

References
  1. Thompson, Rich (October 29, 2019). "Guard Zion Johnson making an impact on Boston College's offensive line". Boston Herald. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  2. Garnett, Carla (August 5, 2022). "Former Intern Graduates to Pro Gridiron Career". NIH Record. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  3. Roberts, Mike (February 22, 2022). "Boston College's Zion Johnson making most of NFL draft process". BVM Sports. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  4. Black, A.J. (August 7, 2020). "Stellar, Standard & Subpar: Offensive Lineman Zion Johnson". SI.com. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  5. Backstrom, Andy (December 27, 2020). "OL Zion Johnson to Return to BC for 2021 Season". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  6. Calvaruso, Tyler (December 27, 2020). "Boston College OL Zion Johnson announces return for 2021". 247Sports.com. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  7. Thompson, Rich (November 30, 2021). "BC OL's Alec Lindstrom, Zion Johnson named All-ACC first team". Boston Herald. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  8. "Zion Johnson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  9. "Zion Johnson, Boston College, OG, 2022 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  10. "Chargers Select Zion Johnson With 17th Pick". Chargers.com. April 28, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
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