Steelers Film Room: Rookie OT Wesley Johnson a versatile athlete, will make an impact in training camp

Steeler's rookie Wesley Johnson will be battling both Cody Wallace and Guy Whimper for a roster spot this year.  Johnson is an intriguing prospect because he has a wide skill set.  No one has ever been released for being able to do too much.  Johnson's ability to play all 5 positions along the offensive line show that he is very smart and he is very coachable.  Those traits will go a long way towards helping him make this team during camp.

In this first clip, Johnson not only shows versatility, but he also shows himself to be a capable run blocker.

Vanderbilt threw the ball a lot in the film that I was able to see on Johnson, so I am not willing to give a wholesale endorsement of his run blocking.  The little bit I saw was good, but Johnson strikes me as more of an athlete than a mauler.

Although tall, Johnson engages in the run game with good pad level.  He is also an aggressive run blocker.  He blocks to the echo of the whistle.  Let's face in, most linemen in the NFL are not blowing 3 techniques 5 yards off of the ball.  As I mentioned before, Johnson has good feet and is a good athlete.  You see that in this next clip.

This is one of those things that seems simple, but teams spend a lot of time on chop blocking in the open field like this.  Linemen normally do not do this very well.  Johnson does an excellent job here.  This is a very impressive play.

Finally, I watched the entire Vanderbilt versus South Carolina game.  Jadeveon Clowney does not switch sides, so Johnson got him for a half of the game.  He held him without a sack.  He plays with good balance and a wide base in pass pro, as you see in the last clip.

Finally, the last thing I like about Johnson is his durability.  He was a four-year starter at Vanderbilt and started over 50 games in a row.  That is an impressive and encouraging feat.  Hopefully, Johnson will force the Steelers into some tough decisions during training camp.