Getty New York Jets defensive end Jermaine Johnson II celebrates an impact play in 2022.
In the modern age of social media, when you make a bold statement, you better be ready to back it up — because you never know who’s listening.
For example, New York Jets first-round pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II responded to some added motivation on July 12 after The Draft Network posted an article about him on Twitter. “Jermaine Johnson II is facing a make-or-break season for the Jets in 2023,” the caption read. “You can never have enough pass rushers, but what exactly will Johnson’s role look like following the addition of Will McDonald IV? 🤔”
Needless to say, Johnson didn’t quite agree with this notion, ripping the take — made by The Draft Network analyst Justin Melo — publicly.
“Lmao make or break?😂 bro please do your homework,” Johnson’s viral tweet replied. “I played about 23% of snaps due to depth with very limited 3rd down ops and what I did with those snaps was impressive to say the least. It’s no question with more snaps I’m more productive. I’ll earn it like always. Take care🏄🏽♂️.”
Within the article, Melo labeled Johnson’s rookie campaign “modest,” while admitting that he was “brought along slowly compared to his rookie counterparts.” He even noted the limited snap count, but what the writer failed to recognize was that this was more a product of head coach Robert Saleh’s rotational system rather than any struggles from the late first-rounder.
In all honesty, McDonald will likely face the same uphill battle for playing time in 2023. That’s the way Saleh operates, and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
Jets’ Jermaine Johnson II Defends Rookie Year on Twitter
This “make-or-break” claim appeared to catch Johnson’s attention on Twitter. Not long after, he quote tweeted a statistical acknowledgement from Jets X-Factor film analyst Stefan Stelling.
“Jermaine Johnson led all 1st RD DEs on true pass sets in: Pressure Rate, QB Hit Rate, Sack Rate,” Stelling voiced in response. “And was 4th among 220 DL in defensive stop rate. Which includes this HUGE sack [on Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen]. Gonna be a star ⭐️.”
“They don’t want to talk about this bro😂😂😂,” Johnson wrote back. “Let them paint their lil narrative and we gon run it up😂.”
Stelling’s analysis is accurate. Maybe Johnson didn’t have rookie campaign that Sauce Gardner or Garrett Wilson did, but his performance was above average for a first-year pass rusher. Traditionally, the defensive end position takes a little longer to develop than most, and the Florida State product didn’t really make too many mistakes in year one.
Johnson’s run defense is his most underrated attribute. According to Pro Football Focus, the 2022 rookie’s stop rate on run defense ranked second for the entire NYJ defense behind linebacker Jamien Sherwood — except Sherwood only logged 14 snaps on run D last year.
Factoring in a minimum snap filter, that means Johnson was the most efficient run defender on the team in terms of stop percentage. His 3.1-yard average depth of tackle was very solid as well.
Johnson did miss three tackles on the season, but his overall missed tackle percentage ranked sixth lowest on the roster (minimum 300 defensive snaps). Could his pass rushing numbers improve with more opportunities? Of course, but it’s hard to find an issue with Johnson’s rookie year otherwise.
NFL Analyst Acknowledges ‘Make-or-Break’ Assessment Wasn’t Totally ‘Fair’
At the way bottom of Melo’s article, the football analyst did admit that it’s not necessarily a “make-or-break season” for Johnson in 2023 despite his headline.
“To be completely fair, Johnson isn’t entering a true make-or-break season,” he wrote. “He’ll likely appear on the Jets’ 2024 roster regardless of his 2023 efforts. His leash is long given his first-round label and he did look the part in spurts as a rookie.”
Melo did add that “most notable NFL defenders will have flashed game-changing potential before the conclusion of their sophomore campaign,” concluding that “Johnson’s year-two progress is worth monitoring.”
There are no timestamps on the article, so it’s unclear if Melo went back and changed anything after hearing from Johnson. Assuming he had this paragraph in his initial argument, the headline is probably a bit of a stretch.