Clay Johnston NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Los Angeles Rams' Pick

LB20 Clay Johnston, Baylor

STRENGTHS

—Thick-chested frame that is no stranger to NFL physicality; father was a longtime NFL strength coach.

—Fills square downhill, but can redirect in tight space to make tackles in the box.

—Good last-second short-area lateral agility allows him to corral most tackles in confined spaces with ease.

—Disciplined eyes as a zone defender with enough speed and route recognition to be an intermediate middle-hole defender that can pass off routes.

—Alpha-dog attitude and clearly the rah-rah leader on the Baylor defense; teammates gravitate toward him post-snap without hesitation.

WEAKNESSES

—Suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-October.

—Doesn't have desired NFL length (30½") or hands (9").

—Try-hard player who doesn't quit, but doesn't have the see-it-and-go explosiveness of starting NFL linebackers.

—Lacks top-tier NFL athleticism and will have to be right as a processor almost every time, as he doesn't have the speed to recover.

OVERALL

Johnston's sheer desire and competitive toughness fuels his success. Multiple injuries didn't stop him from playing college football for a major program. However, the NFL is a different animal. Regardless of whether Johnston's lack of elite athleticism is a result of injuries or maxed-out genetic traits, linebackers today must be able to run faster and cover more sideline-to-sideline range. However, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Johnston stick in the NFL for a decade as a core special teams player and spot starter.

GRADE: 59

PRO COMPARISON: Paul Posluszny/Paul Worrilow