Offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr. was the Arizona Cardinals’ first-round selection in the 2023 NFL draft when they used the No. 6 overall pick to acquire him. However, he is not the first Paris Johnson the Cardinals have ever drafted.
The Cardinals drafted Johnson’s father, Paris Johnson, was drafted by the Cardinals No. 155 overall (in the fifth round) in 1999.
He was a defensive back out of Miami of Ohio.
He never made the team and never played a game in the NFL.
Getting drafted by the Cardinals was extra special for the first-round pick.
“I’m supposed to finish what my dad started,” Johnson said on a conference call after he was drafted, noting how his father was drafted by the Cardinals previously. “I know my family had high expectations, and unfortunately, he didn’t meet those expectations.”
Johnson will definitely have his chance to make an impact. He should find his way into the starting lineup somehow, whether it is at guard or tackle.
While his father wasn’t able to succeed in the pros, the younger Johnson appears set to do exactly what he seeks to do — finish what his father started.
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