NY Jets doing a ton of research on Florida State DE Jermaine Johnson

The NY Jets are doing their homework on many of the top prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, and that includes Florida State defensive end Jermaine Johnson who the team has reportedly spent a lot of time on.

Pro Football Network's Tony Pauline reported on Monday that the Jets "have been in constant contact with [Johnson] and have been doing an inordinate amount of research" on him.

The 2021 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Johnson emerged as one of the best pass rushers in college football this past season recording a whopping 12 sacks in 12 games after transferring to Florida State.

Johnson is seen by many as a future top-10 pick in this draft and there have been some rumblings that he could go as high as No. 4 overall to the Jets. Pauline's report seems to support that possibility.

Jermaine Johnson makes sense as a target for the NY Jets

A former three-star recruit, Johnson spent two years at a community college in Kansas due to poor academics before transferring to Georgia in 2019.

Johnson was never able to break through in a stacked Georgia defense, and after a couple of seasons as a rotational player, he opted to transfer once again, this time to Florida State.

It was at Florida State where Johnson emerged as one of the best defensive players in the country. The 23-year-old put together an outstanding season leading the ACC in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles en route to being named ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

Johnson's college tape is outstanding, and while he may not be quite the athlete that players like Kayvon Thibodeaux and Travon Walker are, he more than makes up for it in other ways.

At 6-foot-4, 254 pounds, Johnson has good length and a prototypical frame. He plays with a red-hot motor and earned praise for his leadership and work ethic (he was a team captain in his only year at Florida State).

Johnson fits the profile of what Joe Douglas and the Jets typically look for in top prospects. He's a high-character guy who fills a major position of need, even if his upside may not be quite as high as Thibodeaux of Walker.

Don't be surprised if Jermaine Johnson is the pick at No. 4 come later this month.