Green Bay Packers: Scouting Report on UDFA Zack Johnson

Here is what one draft analyst had to say about Green Bay Packers undrafted free agent offensive lineman, Zack Johnson of NDSU.

The Green Bay Packers have been fortunate over the years given that they haven’t really had to worry about their offensive line. In fact, it’s been one of the better units in the NFL. However, this year there are some question marks, particularly on the right side.

While Billy Turner was an upgrade at guard over Byron Bell – which may not be saying a lot – his play overall in 2019 was below-average. Then there is Rick Wagner at right tackle who has battled injuries over his career and to put it simply, just wasn’t very good last season.

Couple that with several inexperienced players behind them on the depth chart and that opens the door for an undrafted free agent like Zack Johnson of NDSU to make a push at the final roster.

Johnson is about as experienced of a rookie as you will see in today’s game. At NDSU he appeared in 54 games over his career, including 46 straight starts. What makes him so appealing is his versatility. Although listed as a guard on Packers.com, he was a second-team All-American at right tackle in 2018 and a first-team All-American at right guard in 2019.

In his most recent season of 2019, Johnson would record 77 knockdowns, or 6.4 per game, as NDSU rushed for a school-record 4,607 yards at 287.6 yards per game which was the fourth-best average in the FCS. On top of that, according to Pro Football Focus Johnson logged over 700 pass-blocking snaps over his final two seasons and gave up only three sacks during that span.

Listed at 6’6″ – 315 pounds, Johnson has great size and although he may be considered a small-school prospect coming from NDSU, that program is a powerhouse that churns out NFL talent. Not to mention that having a four-time National Champion on the field in training camp is never a bad thing.

For a closer look at Johnson’s game and what he brings to the Green Bay Packers, here is what Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network had to say in his final scouting report before the draft:

"“Career Snapshot: Three-year starter who earned Second Team FCS All-America honors as a right guard during his senior season in 2019. Earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors as a junior. Named Honorable Mention All-MVFC as a sophomore. Played right tackle before he moved to guard for his senior season.Positives: Hard-working and underrated small-school lineman who can be used at tackle or guard. Fundamentally sound, quickly gets his hands up and stays square. Strong at the point, blocks with a nasty attitude and attacks opponents. Blocks with proper pad level, keeps his head on a swivel and works well with linemates. Turns defenders from the action and completely engulfs them at the point.Negatives: Stiff and has scheme limitations. Not effective far from the line of scrimmage and lacks balance in motion.Analysis: Johnson is a tough, intelligent lineman with NFL size and some versatility. I could see Johnson as a backup guard or right tackle outside of a zone-blocking scheme at the next level.”"

Ultimately Johnson is going to have to really impress this summer if he hopes to make the final roster, however, the practice squad is certainly in play. With that said, a few things that Johnson has in his favor is his ability to play both guard and tackle which as we’ve seen is important to Green Bay and the lack of experienced depth on the roster doesn’t hurt his chances either.

But first, Johnson will have to prove himself in training camp and the preseason.