Jamari Johnson is a redshirt junior tight end at Oregon. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Johnson is a classic in-line tight end with the size and ability to contribute as both a blocker and receiver.
He attended Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California, and was a 3-star recruit ESPN after playing quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and defensive end. Johnson spent two years at Louisville before transferring to Oregon in 2025.
Johnson is the latest tight end prospect from Oregon looking to be a top-50 pick in the NFL Draft after Terrance Ferguson went No. 46 overall to the Los Angeles Rams in 2025, and Kenyon Sadiq was selected with the No. 16 overall pick by the New York Jets in April.
Johnson is the top "Y" tight end in the 2027 NFL Draft as a player who can line up next to an offensive tackle and is just as likely to block as he is to run a route. He's very good in the blocking department, but whether he can match up with his competition as a receiver will be the biggest factor in determining if he becomes the first tight end selected.
Jamari Johnson's NFL Draft Profile
- Position: Tight End
- School: Oregon
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Weight: 255 LBS
- Class: Redshirt Junior
- Hometown: Inglewood, California
Jamari Johnson's Career Stats
- Games Played: 32*
- Receptions: 69*
- Receiving Yards: 961*
- Receiving Touchdowns: 6*
- Yards Per Reception: 13.9*
*statistics do not include the full 2026 season and will be updated
What are Jamari Johnson's biggest strengths?
- Johnson has an excellent frame and strength for a classic in-line tight end.
- He's a very good blocker, both at the line of scrimmage and in space. Oregon particularly likes to use him on wide receiver screens, where he can use his size and strength to block smaller cornerbacks.
- He has strong hands as a receiver and can make catches outside his frame and come down with contested catches over the middle.
- He uses every bit of his size as a receiver to present a bigger target for the quarterback.
- He's a good overall athlete who can get downfield and move well in space, both before and after the catch.
Where can Jamari Johnson improve?
- Given his frame, Johnson isn't the type of athlete who runs crisp routes and consistently gets himself open. He mostly works vertically up the seam, in the end zone or by finding soft spots in zone coverage.
- He needs to continue improving his fluidity when running routes, catching the ball and transitioning into his run after the catch. Right now, those actions are a bit segmented, which slows him down.
NFL Draft Projection
Jamari Johnson will be taken in the first two rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft. The recent history of drafting the position indicates there's likely to be only one tight end taken in the first round this year.
In the past 10 drafts, we've only seen multiple tight ends go on night one three times: 2025, 2019, and 2017.
Johnson will be near the minimum threshold statistically as a receiver to be taken in the first round. He is on pace to finish the year with similar production to his teammate Sadiq last year, as well as Colston Loveland, Noah Fant, and Hayden Hurst, who all were taken in the first round.
However, if Trey'Dez Green continues to play and be healthy and enters the draft as expected, I think Johnson ends up going in the second round. As more tight ends get pushed up boards for their blocking ability, like what we saw last year, that will also push the value down for some borderline first-round players at the position.
NFL Pro comparison
My comp for Jamari Johnson is Tucker Kraft - but the Tucker Kraft we remember coming out in the draft.
Out of South Dakota State, Kraft was a big-bodied Y tight end who did a little bit of everything. He could play on the line but also get out in space a bit. A reliable receiver without being a smooth or twitchy enough runner to be called a "move tight end". And a threat for yards after the catch.
Kraft's well-roundedness in college, without being elite at any one thing is what made him a Day 2 pick. The one note in his scouting report that I think is stronger than Johnson's was how quick he could transition from receiver to runner, and that YAC ability is what has made him a start in the NFL.
Maybe that's something Johnson can develop. Or maybe he'll just be the "good" version of what Kraft would have been instead of "great". But their body types and play styles remind me a lot of each other as prospects.
Final evaluation
Overall Grade: 84/100
Draft Projection: Second Round
Jamari Johnson is a very good tight end prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft. The NFL is valuing blocking tight ends in a big way for today's game and he is an excellent block inline and out in space.
He can be a useful receiver right away with his big frame, strong hands, and decent straight-line speed as well.
His overall ceiling as a prospect and player will be determined by how he continues developing as a pass-catcher and route-runner. But even if he remains at his current level in those respects, he will be a very quality NFL player.
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