The dream of playing professional football has officially come true for Florida State Seminoles defensive end Jermaine Johnson II, as the New York Jets have selected him with the 26th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

https://twitter.com/nyjets/status/1519873491775991810

Johnson, 23, didn't exactly take the easy road to the NFL, as he didn't attract the eye of recruiters the way that others in this NFL Draft class did. Furthermore, the Seminoles star had to attend junior college as he was deemed academically ineligible by the NCAA.

Johnson showed great character in turning things around both on and off the field, as he was a standout performer for Independence Community College in Kansas while earning a 3.0 GPA.

From there, Johnson flashed potential with the Georgia Bulldogs, before transferring to Florida State. Stuck in a rotation, he transferred from Georgia due to NFL Draft concerns.

During the 2021 season, Johnson tallied a whopping 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He projects as both a strong pass rusher and run defender, giving the x team some added versatility along their defensive line.

The Jets' focus for this draft has clearly been on improving their defense. They took star cornerback Ahmad Gardner with the fourth pick earlier. Both Gardner and Johnson will do great things for this defense moving forword.

There's reason to believe that Johnson can be a strong starter in the NFL for years to come. Congratulations are in order for he and his family on this special NFL Draft night.