Tyler Johnstone was impressive during his field day tryouts at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Friday. He certainly answered some of the nagging questions in the minds of scouts surrounding his two ACL surgeries.
What teams were looking for in Johnstone was agility, flexibility and explosiveness and that is precisely what he showed them. The 1st Team All Pac-12 honoree tied for the top 3-cone score while grading out in the high middle in other speed and agility tests. In the weight room he held his own as well.
Johnston moved fluidly and athletically throughout the day. He kept his center of gravity and hips low in drills such as the mirror, an item scouts were looking for with him. His pass-pro also looked solid. In textbook fashion during the edge rush drill he kept his hips square using the kick step then flicked his hips as the rusher started turning the corner.
Overall, in all phases of testing and drills, he showed no sign of knee issues in his performance.
Physique-wise Johnstone looked to be in peak condition with a very low body fat percentage on the offensive line scale, and overall displayed an athletic appearance and frame. Based on the eyeball test alone he was one of the top OL in the building.
Heading into the Combine the consensus on the street was that Johnstone was just below the 50/50 mark on making an NFL roster. After Friday, assuming his medicals matched his on field performance, they are now much higher.