After flipping back and forth between defensive end and tight end during his first several years at Oregon, DJ Johnson eventually found his home as an edge rusher and it proved to be the right choice as he heard his name called during the third round of the NFL draft Friday night.

The Carolina Panthers traded to move up 13 picks in the third round to select Johnson with the No. 80 overall pick.

Johnson started off on defense for the Ducks, after spending a season at Miami, but he moved to tight end for the 2020 season, catching 10 passes for 113 yards and 3 touchdowns. He then played both tight end and outside linebacker in 2021, before moving to defensive full-time in 2022.

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound pass rusher led the Ducks with 6 sacks, tied for fifth most in the Pac-12, and finished with 8.5 total tackles for loss and 39 tackles. He was named the Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week after notching 2 sacks in the win over Cal.

Johnson is the second Oregon player drafted this year, following cornerback Christian Gonzalez (first round, No. 17 overall).