With the 234th pick in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Eagles selected linebacker Patrick Johnson out of Tulane.
"Man, it feels amazing," Johnson said during a virtual conference call with reporters. "It's a weight off my shoulders. Now it's just time to finally get back to work and focus on football and winning a championship now."
A record-setting pass rusher, Johnson set a new school mark with 24.5 career sacks, leading the team in the category in each of the past three seasons. The 6-2, 240-pound Johnson was one of just four FBS players with double-digit sacks (10) in 2020, to go along with 14.5 tackles for loss in earning first-team All-AAC honors. It was Johnson's second season with double-digit sacks in his career.
"I feel like I'm a technician. I bring a lot to the table, especially as a rusher," Johnson said. "I have a lot of different counters, a lot of different speed-to-power moves. I just all around have a lot of moves up my sleeve, and I think Philadelphia fans are really going to love watching me play because of all the stuff I can bring to the table for the team."
A three-year starter, the 22-year-old Johnson posted career totals of 135 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 11 pass deflections, and six forced fumbles, in addition to the sacks. He started 37 of his 49 games while on campus.
The Chattanooga, Tennessee native played linebacker and tight end at Notre Dame High School. He earned an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl following the 2020 season, but it was canceled due to the pandemic.
Scouting Report
"Two-time team captain. Made a lot of negative plays in his career there. Strong at the point of attack. Edge rush ability. We think he's going to be a good fit in Coach (Jonathan) Gannon's scheme. We were really excited to end the day with that pick," Andy Weidl said.
