Former Ole Miss defensive lineman Cedric Johnson impresses at the 2024 NFL Combine
OXFORD, Miss. — When Cedric Johnson opted out of the Peach Bowl last December so he could focus on preparations for the NFL Draft, many Rebel fans were disappointed as they wanted one last opportunity to see him play.
However, that extra work has paid off for the defensive lineman as Johnson was one of the top performers Thursday at the NFL Combine held in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Johnson is the highest-rated Ole Miss prospect for this year’s draft. He finished with the fourth-best time on the day for all defensive linemen in the 40-yard dash, running it in 4.63 seconds on his first attempt and 4.65 on his second, and the fastest time recorded for a defensive end/EDGE rusher.
Cedric Johnson runs a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Hotty Toddy! pic.twitter.com/i3nX6VBJ6Y
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) February 29, 2024
TOP 5 FASTEST Defensive Ends at the 2024 #NFLCombine
Chop Robinson (Penn State): 4.48
Mohamed Kamara (Colorado State): 4.57
Jared Verse (Florida State): 4.58
Xavier Thomas (Clemson): 4.62
Cedric Johnson (Ole Miss): 4.63 pic.twitter.com/sowCMX9Xyj— NFL (@NFL) February 29, 2024
He finished with an outstanding performance in the vertical jump, coming in at 38 inches.
Best vertical jump of the day so far: 38 INCHES by @OleMissFB DE Cedric Johnson 👏 @Cedric02_
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Iz3spFq9Mg— NFL (@NFL) February 29, 2024
Continuing his excellent combine, Johnson finished seventh overall in the broad jump (10.2 inches) and fifth overall in the 10-yard split (1.61).
At Ole Miss
Johnson, the 2023 Chucky Mullins Courage Award Recipient, finished with 111 tackles during his career as a Rebel. Of those, 56 were solo. To that stat line, he added 19 sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. In 2023, the Rebels’ historic 11-win season, Johnson tallied 40 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries.
Prior to the combine, mock drafts have had Cedric anywhere from the third round to the fifth. However, after today’s performance, he could well be third round, or even late second.
Next Up at the Combine
On Friday, Rebel defensive backs Daijahn Anthony and Deantre Prince will have their testing and onfield workouts. Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for more on how our former Rebels are performing at the Combine.
(Feature image and photo credits: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
