Lane Johnson: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Oklahoma OT

As a former tight end and defensive end, few would have suspected that Lane Johnson would have made it to the NFL. However, a switch during the 2011 season to offensive tackle put Johnson on NFL teams' radars.

Johnson used an extremely impressive performance at the 2013 NFL combine to boost his stock for the 2013 NFL draft. That performance, combined with a strong Senior Bowl, showed just how dominant of a player Johnson can become.

Today we'll break down five things that you need to know about Johnson.

Combine results courtesy of NFL.com. College stats courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.

Background

Full Name: Lane Johnson

Hometown: Groveton, Texas

High School: Groveton (TX)

Year: Senior

Major: Human relations

Johnson wasn't on many radars coming out of high school because he was mainly used as a tight end and on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, Johnson went to Kilgore Junior College before heading to Oklahoma.

Statistics

2011: 12 stats, 162.9 rushing yards per game, 30 rushing touchdowns, 349.4 passing yards per game, 29 passing touchdowns, 39.5 points per game

2012: 13 starts, 161.8 rushing yards per game, 30 rushing touchdowns, 336.8 passing yards per game, 30 passing touchdowns, 38.2 points per game

It wasn't until the 2011 season that Lane Johnson converted to offensive tackle. However, he was a key blocker for one of the most prolific passing teams in the nation.

He consistently got better in each of his seasons, but he still has plenty of room to improve.

Draft Process

Measurables

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 303 lbs.

Arm Length: 35-1/4"

Hands: 10-1/8"

Combine Results

40-yard dash: 4.72 seconds (top performer)

Bench press: 28 reps

Vertical jump: 34" (top performer)

Broad jump: 118" (top performer)

3 cone drill: 7.31 seconds (top performer)

20-yard shuttle: 4.52 seconds (top performer)

No offensive tackle was as impressive at the NFL combine as Lane Johnson. He was a top performer in nearly every event he participated in.

All combine results courtesy of NFL.com.

Interesting Facts

It took Lane Johnson a number of years before he found his true position in football. 

He played quarterback during his high school years, and actually attended Kilgore Junior College to play that same position. When he finally arrived at the University of Oklahoma, the team converted him to tight end in 2009. 

The 2010 season saw him play defensive end with little success, and even more position switches were to follow. In 2011, Johnson was the Sooners' right tackle, and 2012 was the first time in his career that he played left tackle.

For those keeping track, that is five different positions that Johnson has played since leaving high school.

Observations

The quickness with which Lane Johnson has risen up draft boards is pretty incredible. According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network, there are some teams that have concerns about Johnson's quick rise:

"

I've talked to a number of teams that are baffled by the rise of Lane Johnson. One college director termed him "not ready for primetime".

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 23, 2013"

Bart Hubboch of the New York Post gave us this retweet from RavensInsider.com concerning just how incredible Johnson's performance was at the combine:

"

Amazing. RT @ravensinsider: Mike Mayock notes Lane Johnson has better 40 than Anquan Boldin, same vertical as A.J. Green as a 300-pound OT.

— Bart Hubbuch (@HubbuchNYP) April 18, 2013"