How Cedric Johnson made the Bengals’ 53-man roster

Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORKTypically, a sixth-round pick is a long shot to make an NFL roster.

But Cedric Johnson is not your typical player.

The rookie out of Ole Miss first caught the attention of Cincinnati Bengals defensive line coach Marion Hobby because of his versatility, instincts, and honesty.

“Football school,” Hobby told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “He had played with his hand in the ground, he had played standing up, he had gone inside. He had seen different concepts... He’s got a real good knack for finding the quarterback.”

And then, in interviews over Zoom, Johnson didn’t pretend he was perfect. Instead, according to Hobby, the defensive end was “open” about what…