by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Georgia, Linebacker, Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Name- Jamon Dumas-Johnson
Pos- Linebacker
Team- Georgia
HT/WT- 6’1” 245 lbs.
Born- N/A
Home – Hyattsville, MD
Dumas-Johnson attended St. Francis Academy in Maryland and was a consensus 4-star, ranked as the #10 inside linebacker nationally by 247Sports. As a junior in 2019, he helped the Panthers become the #3 ranked team nationally and he was featured on HBO’s The Cost of Winning documentary.
As a freshman in 2021, he played in 14 of 15 games as a reserve linebacker and on special teams and tallied 22 tackles, two sacks and one interception in his limited role.
2022 was a breakout season for Dumas-Johnson, as he started 15 games at inside linebacker and was named first team All-American by The Sporting News and ESPN after collecting 70 tackles, 4 sacks and 26 quarterback hurries.
He entered the 2023 season as a preseason first team All-SEC and The Sporting News first team All-American. So far in 6 games, Dumas-Johnson has totaled 18 tackles with 2.5 sacks.
Dumas-Johnson is quick and instinctive and locates the ball swiftly before blockers can get to him at the second level. He has the temperament and skills to be a valuable middle linebacker in a 4-3. He is athletic in his pursuit of the ball and uses his eyes well to chase at the best angles. He is a tenacious tackler but is cerebral, knowing when counters or fakes are being run. He does an efficient job of disengaging blockers and is a non-stop competitor.
On the downside, Dumas-Johnson isn’t physically strong and needs to hit the weight room before reaching the next level. His pass rushing moves are limited and he frequently gets pushed outside the pocket due to his lack of power. He has speed—but elite speed and should shed some weight to help out in his overall ability and stamina. He is a tenacious tackler but at times goes for the knockout punch instead of just making the play. In the NFL, with faster, twitchier players, he will need to break down before tackling more often.
There are a lot of similarities between Jamon Dumas-Johnson and ex-Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards who now plays for the Chicago Bears after going undrafted in 2019. Edwards had 159 tackles for the Philadelphia Eagles last season and Draft 412 believes that Dumas-Johnson will be a similar tackling machine in the league.
Strengths
Non-stop motor
Tackling
Chasing angles
Run defense
Weaknesses
Pass defense
Pass rush
Weight
Speed
Final Analysis
Jamon Dumas-Johnson has the look and feel of a middle linebacker in the NFL. He should go in the middle of the draft and be a yearly 100+ tackler in the league.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 4th or 5th round