Paris Johnson Jr.

NoteCARDS:

• Selected by the Cardinals in the first round (6th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Was the first offensive lineman taken that year and the fourth offensive player behind QBs Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.
• In 2024, was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate for the first time in his career.
• Started all 31 games played in his first two seasons (2023-24), starting all 17 games at RT in 2023 and 14 games played at LT in 2024.
• In his two seasons (2-23-24) as a starter, the Cardinals have posted two of the top three single-season rushing averages in franchise history: 5.02 in 2023 (2,365 yds on 471 att.) and 5.29 (2,451 yds on 463 att.). Arizona's 5.29-yard rushing average in 2024 was the best in team history and the 16th-best total in NFL history.
• Helped RB James Conner run for 1,000+ yards in each of the last two seasons (2023-24), including a career-high 1,094 yards in 2024.
• Helped block for the Cardinals offense to run for 2,451 yards and 18 TDs on 463 carries (5.3 avg.) in 2024, the 3rd-highest rushing yardage total in team history and the best since the team ran for a franchise record 2,582 yards in 1979.
• Was part of an offense line that allowed just 30 sacks in 2024, the 5th-fewest in the NFL.
• Helped the Cardinals offense produce 6,090 total net yards in 2024, marking just the fifth time in franchise history Arizona put up 6,000+ yards in a season.
• Part of an O-line that helped the Cardinals rush for 2,365 yards and 17 TDs on 471 attempts (5.02 avg.) in 2023. Arizona's 2,365 rushing yards were the 5th-most in a season in franchise history.
• Helped the Cardinals lead the NFL in games with 200+ rushing yards (4) and runs of 20+ yards (23) in '23.
• Paved the way for RB James Conner to post his first career 1,000-yard rushing season in '23, as he finished the year with 1,040 yards and seven TDs on 208 carries (5.0 avg.).
• Drafted by the Cardinals exactly 8,776 days (24 years, 10 days) after his father - Paris Sr. - was selected by Arizona in the 5th round (155th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft.
• Became the highest-drafted offensive lineman out of Ohio State since Orlando Pace was picked #1 overall by the Rams in 1997. A 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Pace was a seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion who played 13 seasons in the NFL.
• Graduated from Ohio State in less than three years, earning a degree in Journalism. An All-American on the field, he was also a credentialed member of the media while working for the school newspaper, The Lantern.
• Has learned to speak both Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese.

NoteCARDS:

• Selected by the Cardinals in the first round (6th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. Was the first offensive lineman taken that year and the fourth offensive player behind QBs Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson.
• In 2024, was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate for the first time in his career.
• Started all 31 games played in his first two seasons (2023-24), starting all 17 games at RT in 2023 and 14 games played at LT in 2024.
• In his two seasons (2-23-24) as a starter, the Cardinals have posted two of the top three single-season rushing averages in franchise history: 5.02 in 2023 (2,365 yds on 471 att.) and 5.29 (2,451 yds on 463 att.). Arizona's 5.29-yard rushing average in 2024 was the best in team history and the 16th-best total in NFL history.
• Helped RB James Conner run for 1,000+ yards in each of the last two seasons (2023-24), including a career-high 1,094 yards in 2024.
• Helped block for the Cardinals offense to run for 2,451 yards and 18 TDs on 463 carries (5.3 avg.) in 2024, the 3rd-highest rushing yardage total in team history and the best since the team ran for a franchise record 2,582 yards in 1979.
• Was part of an offense line that allowed just 30 sacks in 2024, the 5th-fewest in the NFL.
• Helped the Cardinals offense produce 6,090 total net yards in 2024, marking just the fifth time in franchise history Arizona put up 6,000+ yards in a season.
• Part of an O-line that helped the Cardinals rush for 2,365 yards and 17 TDs on 471 attempts (5.02 avg.) in 2023. Arizona's 2,365 rushing yards were the 5th-most in a season in franchise history.
• Helped the Cardinals lead the NFL in games with 200+ rushing yards (4) and runs of 20+ yards (23) in '23.
• Paved the way for RB James Conner to post his first career 1,000-yard rushing season in '23, as he finished the year with 1,040 yards and seven TDs on 208 carries (5.0 avg.).
• Drafted by the Cardinals exactly 8,776 days (24 years, 10 days) after his father - Paris Sr. - was selected by Arizona in the 5th round (155th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft.
• Became the highest-drafted offensive lineman out of Ohio State since Orlando Pace was picked #1 overall by the Rams in 1997. A 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Pace was a seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion who played 13 seasons in the NFL.
• Graduated from Ohio State in less than three years, earning a degree in Journalism. An All-American on the field, he was also a credentialed member of the media while working for the school newspaper, The Lantern.
• Has learned to speak both Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese.

Pro Career:

Originally entered the NFL with the Cardinals as the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.

2024: Selected as a Pro Bowl alternate for the first time in his career ... started the first 14 games of the season at LT before suffering a season-ending knee injury ... helped block for the Cardinals offense to run for 2,451 yards, the third most in team history ... part of an offense line that allowed just 30 sacks, the fifth-fewest sacks in the NFL in 2024 ... started at LT in the season opener @ Buf (9/8) and helped block for the Cardinals offense to run for 124 yards and a TD on 25 carries (5.0 avg.) ... started in the win vs. LAR (9/15), helped block for the Cardinals to produce 250+ passing yards and 230+ rushing yards (258 passing, 231 rushing) for just the seventh time in 65 years; part of a line that protected QB Kyler Murray as he completed 17-of-21 passes (81%) for 266 yards, three TDs and a 'perfect' passer rating of 158.3, and paved the way for RB James Conner to run for 122 yards and a TD on 21 attempts (5.8 avg.) ... started at LT vs. Was (9/29) and helped produce 181 rushing yards while Conner ran for 104 yards and a TD ... part of a line that allowed just one sack of Murray and helped block for 169 rushing yards in the win @ SF (10/6) ... started at LT @ GB (10/13); part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack of Murray as he completed 22-of-32 passes for 214 yards and a TD ... helped pave the way for the offense to run for 181 yards and a TD on 29 carries (6.2 avg.) while not allowing a sack of Murray for the second consecutive week in the win vs. LAC (10/21) ... member of a line that did not allow a sack of Murray as he completed 26-of-36 passes for 307 yards and two TDs @ Mia (10/27); marked the first time since Games 12-14 of the 1975 season that the Cardinals held their opponents without a sack in at least three straight games ... helped the offense run for 213 yards in the victory vs. Chi (11/3), the most allowed by the Bears since 2022 ... helped protect Murray as he completed 22-of-24 passes for 266 yards and a TD and pave the way for the offense to run for 147 yards and three TDs in the win vs. NYJ (11/10) ... started at LT in the win vs. NE (12/15) and was part of a line that did not allow a sack of Murray as he completed 23-of-30 passes for 224 yards and helped pave the way for the offense to total 163 rushing yards and two TDs on 32 carries (5.1 avg.) ... inactive (knee) @ Car (12/22) ... placed on IR (knee) on 12/24.

2023: Started all 17 games at RT ... helped block for the offense to run for the second-most rushing yards per play (5.02) and the fourth-most total rushing yards (2,365 - most by Cardinals since 1979) in the NFL despite ranking 13th in rushing attempts (471) ... started in his NFL debut at RT in the season opener @ Was (9/10) becoming the first Cardinals rookie OL to start in Week 1 since 2018 (OL Mason Cole) ... started in the home opener vs. NYG (9/17), helped pave the way for RB James Conner to rush for 106 yards and 1 TD and allow zero sacks on QB Joshua Dobbs; it marked the Cardinals first game without allowing a sack since 12/25/21 ... helped pave the way for Arizona to rush for 222 yards vs. Dal (9/24), the most rushing yards by the team since Week 6 of 2020 ... started at RT, helped block for 105 rushing yards against the NFL's top run defense and was part of an offensive line that allowed just one sack on 41 pass attempts @ SF (10/1) ... started at RT and helped the team rush for 142 yards and a TD on 22 attempts (6.5 avg.) vs. Cin (10/8) ... started at RT and helped the team rush for 130 yards @ LAR (10/15) ... started at RT and helped block for 127 yards and a TD on 25 carries (5.1 avg.) facing the NFL's fifth-ranked run defense @ Sea (10/22) ... started at RT and helped block for 129 yards facing the NFL's ninth-ranked run defense vs. Bal (10/29) ... started at RT @ Cle (11/5) ... started at RT and helped block for 122 rushing yards and two TDs on 26 carries (4.7 avg.) vs. Atl (11/12); Atlanta had allowed an NFL-low two rushing TDs over its first nine games ... started at RT and helped block for 125 yards and a TD facing the NFL's ninth-ranked run defense @ Hou (11/19) ... started at RT vs. LAR (11/26) ... helped pave the way for RB James Conner to rush for 105 yards and two TDs @ Pit (12/3) ... helped block for the offense to rush for 234 yards against the NFL's top ranked run defense vs. SF (12/17), the most rushing yards by the team since Week 6 of 2020 ... started at RT @ Chi (12/24) ... helped allow just one sack and block for 221 rushing yards on a season-high 40 carries (5.5 avg.) @ Phi (12/31), including 128 rushing yards from RB James Conner; the Eagles had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 24 games and a 200 rushing yard performance in 49 games headed into the contest ... started at RT in the season finale vs. Sea (1/7/24) and helped block for the offense to run for over 200 yards, including a career-high 150 rushing yards from RB James Conner; it marked an NFL-high fourth game in 2023 that the Cardinals ran for 200+ yards.

College:

Played 31 games in three seasons (2020-22) at Ohio State, starting 26 consecutive contests over his final two years … started at both RG and LT in his college career … in his three seasons with the Buckeyes, the team had a 29-5 record and twice made the College Football Playoffs (2020, 2022) and played in the National Championship Game in 2020 … an All-American on the field, twice earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and was a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete … during his time at OSU, blocked for current NFL QBs Justin Fields (2020) and C.J. Stroud (2021-22) ... as a junior in 2022, earned unanimous first-team All-American (Walter Camp, FWAA, AFCA) honors and was named first-team All-Big Ten by the conference's coaches & media … started all 13 games at LT, helping lead Ohio State to a #9 ranking nationally in total offense (490.7 ypg) and #2 in scoring (44.2 ppg) … helped lead Buckeyes to an 11-2 record and an appearance in the CFP where they faced the eventual National Champion Georgia Bulldogs … protected the blindside of Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud who threw for 3,688 yards and 41 TDs … also helped the Buckeyes average 192.4 rushing yards per game with 30 rushing TDs … in his first season at LT, allowed just 14 pressures on 449 pass-blocking attempts according to PFF.com ... started all 13 games at RG as a sophomore in 2021and was a major factor for the best offense in the nation with Ohio State finishing the year leading the country in total offense (561.5 ypg) and scoring offense (45.7 ppg) while finishing #2 in passing efficiency and #3 in passing offense (380.9 ypg) … earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference coaches in his first season as a starter … helped protect the Heisman finalist Stroud, who set OSU single-season records for completion percentage (71.9), passing yards per game (369.6), 300-yard passing performances (9), 400-yard passing performances (5) and passer rating (186.6) … also helped OSU average 180.8 rushing yards per game with 24 rushing TDs … blocked for TreVeyon Henderson, who rushed for 1,248 yards and 15 TDs on 183 carries (6.8 avg.) ... played in five games as a true freshman in 2020, mostly at guard, including in the CFP Championship Game against Alabama … earned OSU Scholar-Athlete honors.

Personal:

Spent three seasons (2016-18) at St. Xavier (Cincinnati, OH) High School before attending Princeton (Cincinnati, OH) High School as a senior in 2019 … left high school as the #7 ranked player in the nation, the top tackle and the top player in the state of Ohio … named a two-time All-American by both MaxPreps and USA Today … two-time first-team All-State selection … as a senior at Princeton in 2019, was named the Anthony Munoz Lineman of the Year and the American Bowl Man of the Year … earned Anthony Munoz Lineman of the Year … earned spot in the 2020 All-American Bowl in San Antonio and was an Ambassador invite to the Polynesian Bowl … earned academic high honors all four years in high school … member of the National Honor Society and Chinese International Honor Society.