NFL Draft: Why Bobby Petrino believes Missouri State's Eric Johnson should be selected
Wyatt D. Wheeler
When Bobby Petrino was first getting started as the Missouri State head football coach, his friend Mark Gorscak visited practice and took a look at the team.
Gorscak, a longtime scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers, came away impressed with Eric Johnson, a Bears defensive tackle who had become a mainstay on the defensive line in previous seasons under the former regime.
Petrino thought Johnson had some work to do if he was going to gain the attention of the NFL but he thought it was possible with a big season. Gorscak noted that only so many people on the planet were Johnson's size and had that type of ability.
"He said that he really believed that if Eric had a good year, he would get drafted," Petrino said. "It's a credit to how well he played. He puts his video on and you see that effort, technique, fundamentals and understanding of the game. That's what they go on."
More:Where could Missouri State defensive lineman Eric Johnson go in the NFL Draft?
Johnson's two standout seasons on the Bears' defensive line have him likely to be the first player out of Missouri State to be selected since 2011. Most draft experts expect him to be selected between the fourth and fifth rounds.
Johnson stood out on the Bears' defensive line under Dave Steckel and stuck around for his senior year. With the pandemic, Johnson was given two senior seasons in 2021, broke out as one of the better players in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and helped lead the Bears to their first two FCS Playoff appearances since 1990.
In the spring, Johnson started 10 games and earned second-team All-MVFC honors with 27 total tackles, six for a loss and 1.5 sacks. At 6-foot-5, 299-pounds, he was a menace against the run.
Johnson followed in the fall with an even better season while earning First Team All-MVFC honors with 1.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles for a loss. He had 43 total tackles and blocked three kicks.
His play earned him a spot in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. After standing out there, NFL scouts requested his presence at the prestigious Senior Bowl where his name continued to skyrocket while also solidifying himself as someone who should hear his name called.
"At first, I thought I would make it as a free agent," Johnson told the News-Leader in February. "After these bowl games happened, people started talking to me and getting a feel for me in these interviews while also seeing me perform. I feel like I've shot up significantly and my chances are pretty good."
Every major media outlet has Johnson being selected. A lack of three techniques, a term used to describe certain interior pass rushers, in the draft will increase Johnson's chances along with an impressive 4.86 40-yard dash at his pro day — one of the better sprints for a player his size.
Johnson has worked out with the Saints, Lions, Chargers, Colts, Packers, Bengals and Bears during his predraft process. Notable draft guru Matt Miller, with ESPN, slotted Johnson as the 132nd overall pick to the Green Bay Packers.
Scouts Inc. has him as the 154th overall player in the draft while praising his ability against the run, toughness and motor.
If his name isn't called Friday night, there's a good chance it'll be called when rounds 4-7 begin Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
"I've been talking to my dad and he's been giving me advice," Johnson said. "Now that we know that we can officially make it and we have the ability, that can't be the only goal.
"We have to raise the bar. It was all 'let's get into a training camp' or 'let's get drafted.' Now, it's 'we're trying to get on a team, we want to make the roster and we want to make it on a team.' We want to make it last."
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.