If you're a believer in the "reload" concept -- the college football axiom which holds that certain programs develop such a strong recruiting pipeline at a given position that the next "up and comer" will always deliver on high expectations -- Anthony Johnson is your next LSU defensive lineman to keep an eye on.
The junior's numbers from last season (three starts, three sacks and 11 solo tackles) don't exactly jump off the stat sheet. Yet NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has Johnson ranked as the No. 31 player in college football entering 2013. Why? For one thing, he was constantly disruptive. If he'd spent any more time in opposing offensive backfields, he could have claimed legal residence there.
He came up with 10 tackles for loss as a backup, more than each of three LSU defensive linemen who were drafted last April and combined for 28 starts. He weighs just under 300 pounds, and can run about as well as a middle linebacker. And he ranks pretty high on the good citizen scale, as well.
Or you can believe the history. Johnson's status as the dominant force coach Les Miles is "reloading" with traces back to a lengthy line of NFL draft picks. Glenn Dorsey was picked No.5 overall to Kansas City in 2008, and just a year later, the Chiefs went back to Baton Rouge to nab Tyson Jackson No. 3 overall. Jackson handed the torch to Drake Nevis (2011 third-rounder to Colts), who handed it to Michael Brockers (2012 first-rounder to Rams). Last year, LSU had all four of its primary defensive linemen drafted (Sam Montgomery, Barkevious Mingo, Lavar Edwards, Bennie Logan).
Must be something in the water on the Bayou.
Follow Chase Goodbread on twitter @ChaseGoodbread
