The bottom line in any NFL season is to win the Super Bowl. How do teams like the Arizona Cardinals get there? They win games which are always won first in the trenches.
One of their needs was to beef up the exterior of the O-line. That is what they had hoped to accomplish when they selected offensive tackle Parris Johnson Jr. in 2023 out of The Ohio State University.
Let's take a look at how this Arizona Cardinals lineman has grown in his early NFL career, and how he will help the offense succeed.
How this Arizona Cardinals lineman can be a winner
2024 wasn't the season Johnson expected
Johnson's second NFL season ended in a bizarre way he didn't expect. After suffering a knee injury against the New England Patriots, he missed the last three games of 2024 and was placed on the I.R.
But with Johnson being 100% healthy this season, he's looking to keep climbing up the ladder of success rather than slip back down. If it's any indication, Johnson wants to be the best he can be, but he's doing it with actions rather than just words.
Paris Johnson Jr. is starting at left tackle
Johnson may be more of a natural left tackle, but he is athletic enough to play at the right tackle spot, too, if needed. It's one of the main reasons the Birds picked him 6th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
That pick has paid off so far, as Johnson is ranked in the top 15 for best offensive tackles in the NFL in only the two seasons that he has played with the Cardinals, as per Pro Football Focus.
This year, the Cardinals will plant Johnson at left tackle, protecting Kyler Murray's blindside, which for Johnson is a must if Murray wants to avoid being sacked.
Due to his limited season because of a knee injury, Johnson nevertheless had higher marks in pass blocking (64.2 in 2023 to 78.1 in 2024) and run blocking (55.1 to 73.8). He also cut down on penalties from (12) in 2023 to (five) in 2024, as per Pro Football Focus.
The left tackle position is without a doubt one of the most vital ones on the line that faces some of the best edge rushers in the NFL. If the left tackle doesn't block, for the quarterback, then that will spell trouble for Murray.
The Ohio State relationship
Johnson performed well under the guidance of former offensive line coach Klayton Adams, who is now the Cowboys' co-offensive coordinator. But replacing him now is one of Johnson's former OL coaches from Ohio State, Justin Frye.
The 6 foot 6 inch, 313-pound lineman describes his o-line coach as someone who believes in the fundamentals of a successful tackle. He believes in clean hands, feet, the spot, and the technique needs to be on fleek, too.
Feed Johnson more?
Johnson has another goal he wants to accomplish this year. He feels he needs to be a steadier leader in the locker room, and he believes that consistency is key.
He wants to enter the season with the goal of working on himself while striving to become a better team leader. He has already proven it on the field, but he also wants to rally the team and motivate them on game days.