EP native Johnson signs contract with Jets

The New York Jets announced Monday, May 16, that the team signed Eden Prairie native Jermaine Johnson II out of Florida State, the team’s third of three first-round picks (No. 26) in last month’s NFL draft.

According to the StarTribune, Johnson, 23, received a fully guaranteed four-year, $13.08 million rookie deal. That includes a $6.7 million signing bonus and the standard fifth-year option for the Jets.

Johnson played at three schools in five seasons, wrapping up at Florida State in 2021. The pass rusher started at Independence Community College for two seasons before transferring to Georgia for a pair and Florida State for one. He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, leading the conference with 12 sacks and 18.5 tackles.

“It wasn’t a clean-cut, cookie-cutter way to get here, but I wouldn’t want it any other way because it truly created the man that’s seated in front of you,” Johnson said. “I embrace it all. That is the real blessing. People talk about blessings being materialistic things. The real blessing is the journey for me and who I ended up becoming out of that. I couldn’t be more excited to go on the path that I went on.”

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Jest head coach Rober Saleh praised Johnson for his tremendous athleticism and football IQ.

“He’s probably the most pro-ready of all the pass rushers this year in terms of having a repertoire to his game and something we can add to,” Salah said.

Johson starred on the Eden Prairie High School football field in 2017. As a senior, he was a Minnesota All-Star.

When Johnson took his game to Independence, he didn’t know it at the time, but the school he picked would be featured on the Netflix series “Last Chance U.”

“Some kids go to community college, and you never hear from them again,” Eden Prairie High School football coach Mike Grant has said about Johnson in a May 4 EPLN story by Daniel Huss. “Jermaine went away and became a good student and a great leader.”