Jets' Jermaine Johnson: 'I want to be on the field every play'

Jermaine Johnson is ready to let his game do the talking.

The second-year edge rusher has been one of the more talked about Jets not named Aaron Rodgers. It started before the first training camp practice when Quinnen Williams said Johnson would have a breakout season.

Johnson’s play in camp and the preseason showed Williams may be right.

“I feel like I made my statement,” Johnson said.

What was that statement?

“That I’m a dominant player every time I’m on the field,” Johnson said.

Johnson believes he will prove that this season.

He sculpted his body, studied film and improved his pass-rushing skills. Johnson had a sack while playing just four snaps in the Jets’ final preseason game against the Giants. Several Jets joined Johnson and imitated his sack celebration.

The Jets traded up for Johnson late in the first round last season in what looks like a franchise-changing draft that also included Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall in the first 36 picks.

Gardner and Wilson won Defensive and Offensive Rookies of the Year, respectively. Hall was off to a brilliant start before tearing his ACL in Week 7. Johnson spent the season working and trying to find playing time on a stacked defensive line. He recorded 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 14 games.

Johnson is happy his teammates got that recognition. He wasn’t jealous. Johnson was more frustrated with himself. He didn’t like what he saw when he watched film of himself last year. Johnson worked on changing that.

The Jets will open the season Monday night against Buffalo and their defensive line may be even stronger. Johnson’s emergence should be a factor.

“I’m always going to be hungry for more,” Johnson said. “I’m always going to want to dominate and kind of be seen as that dominant player. I want to be seen as a player that offenses have to scout for. I did the work in the offseason to do that. I know when I’m at my best, the team can be at the best and they’re getting the most out of me.”

The 6-5 Johnson weighs 265 pounds, up 10 from last year. He’s more comfortable in the system and should be more difficult to contain now.

Johnson always played with an edge, but now he’s playing faster with a quicker bend around the corner and more confidence.

“He’s old-school in the sense of three down, run defender, edge rusher,” Robert Saleh said. “I’d argue his ability in the run game is even better than his ability in the pass game . . . He plays with a violence to him, definitely plays with an edge to him. To play on our D-Line the strain is a required skill set and he absolutely strains his tail off.”

The Jets will continue to rotate their defensive front to come at offensive lines in waves. Williams, Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers were the only linemen to play more than 50% of the snaps last season. Johnson played 27.4%.  

Johnson believes you have to earn the right to be a three-down player. He’s certainly earned the right to play more this year.

“Ever since I was little, I was always obsessed with being just as good if not the best guy at everything,” Johnson said. “I want to be the strongest, I want to be the fastest. I want to be able to play the run like a D-tackle, I want to be able to rush the passer on third down just like a solely third-down guy. I always wanted to be the best at everything. I think that kind of shows up in my game.

“I don’t want to just teeter to a pass rusher, teeter to a run stopper. I want to be on the field every play. I want to be the kind of player that you know every down I’m on the field, I’m helping the team.”

Williams may be right. Johnson could be the Jet who makes the biggest jump this season.

Notes & quotes: The Jets worked out former Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay on Wednesday. They also worked out receivers Jeff Smith and James Proche.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.