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Travis Johnson DT Florida St. 6’4 305
By: Robert Davis

Travis Johnson came to Florida St. as one of the elite recruits in the country in 2000. As a redshirt freshman in 2001, he was named freshman all american after finishing the year with 31 tackles, 8 of them for loss. As a sophomore, he set a career high 50 tackles with 10.5 of them for loss. His numbers really dipped as a junior where he only had 36 tackles and three for loss. He really came on as a senior however, finally living up to the hype he had coming in. He had 21.5 tackles for loss his first three years in school, but came through with 18 his senior year alone. He also tied his career high of 50 tackles, and had 2.5 sacks to go along with it.

Travis Johnson is the prototype for a 4-3 defensive tackle. Along with weighing 300lbs, he brings excellent athleticism and quickness to the position. He gets a great burst off the line, and has the ability to be a consistent force behind the line of scrimmage. He’s also strong enough to hold his ground and plug the run inside.

Johnson had some issues with consistency at Florida St. He would disappear at times, and had a down year as a junior. He also has some issues off the field that need to be looked into. He was acquitted on a felony rape charge in 2003, but it will still be highly scrutinized as the draft approaches.

Travis Johnson may be the best pure defensive tackle in the draft. Guys like Marcus Spears and Shaun Cody have spent a lot of time at defensive end, but Johnson is a pure tackle. His ability to consistently apply pressure from the interior is going to make him a hot commodity in the April draft. Johnson looks like a solid first round pick, and could go anywhere in the last half of the round.

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