Who are similar NFL players to Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson?
Everybody wants to project ahead and make comparisons. However, some of them become too lofty. When looking at the Chicago Bears draft pick of Jaylon Johnson, we want to find legitimate comparisons for what he could become.
By sorting through combine data and other variables, Martellus Bennett turned out to be an excellent outcome for a player such as Kmet. Who are players that are similar to Jaylon Johnson?
First, we want to narrow the list of potential comparisons down by size. Johnson is 6′ flat, so we will look for any cornerback from 5’11 to 6’1 to give an inch each way. He weighs 193, so we will give six pounds up to199, and down to 187.
Now, it is time to look at some athletic comparisons. When adjusting Johnsons weight and 40-yard dash, he posted a 94 speed-score. His combination of vertical, broad, and bench gave him a 175 burst score, and his 3-cone and short shuttle gave him an 11.14 agility score.
To give a bit on both sides, we looked at any corners that checked the size range, with a speed score in the 90s, a burst score in 170 range, and agility from 11 to 11.3.
Lastly, we filtered this list by draft capital. Jaylon Johnson had a respectable film profile coming out, and 50 felt low for some people. Whether his fall was warranted or not, it feels like comparing him to a sixth-round pick who just barely made the roster is disingenuous as well. So, again to give leeway, we will look at the players drafted from pick 1 to 100. So, these players checked similar physical, athletic, and draft capital boxes coming into the NFL. We found 21 matches.
In order of NFL production, they are
Joe Haden, Marcus Peters, Chris Gamble, Kyle Fuller, Corey Webster, TreDavious White, Morris Claiborne, Patrick Robinson, Artie Burns, Darqueze Dennard, Kendall Fuller, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Isaiah Oliver, Deandre Baker, Isaac Yiadom, Cam Sutton, Derrick Strait, Keivarae Russell, Will Redmond, David Pittman, and Alex Carter.
Artie Burns and Kyle Fuller checking all of the same boxes has to show that the Bears have a type. Still, we can break this group down even a bit further.
Misses: Derrick Strait, Keivarae Russell, Will Redmond, David Pittman, and Alex Carter
None of these players lived up to their draft capital. That is 24% of the list. Russell had academic issues at Notre Dame that led to him getting kicked off the team and also broke his foot before the draft. The Chiefs took a shot on him at pick 78 but released him after one preseason due to maturity issues. That is not a great comparison for Johnson. Redmond fell to pick 68 due to an ACL tear, and never got his career off of the ground due to injuries.
Carter, Pittman, and Strait were drafted 80, 76, and 87, respectively. All three would present worst outcomes for a pick like Johnson as all three bounced around the league and did not last with the team that drafted them for more than one season.
To be determined: Cam Sutton, Isaac Yiadom, DeAndre Baker, Isaiah Oliver.
Sutton was drafted 97th in 2017 by Pittsburgh. His role has grown year by year, but he is entering year four as a dime cornerback for the Steelers. This would be a lower end outcome, although the depth chart has pushed Sutton down. Yiadom was picked 99 by the Broncos and started eight games in his second NFL season. He is slotted to start across from A.J. Bouye in year three.
Baker may be the best comparison of this group. Like Johnson, Baker started as a rotational contributor as a true freshman and grew from there. Both had more interceptions than touchdowns allowed in college, and both were known for their physical brand of football and press skills.
Many saw Baker as over-drafted at pick 32, but Johnson as a steal at pick 50. Put them together, and you have a very similar draft profile. Baker started his entire rookie season, but it was not pretty. He showed some growth but was often picked on. Of course, Johnson landed in a spot with a better supporting cast.
Oliver has the exact body and athletic capability of Johnson. However, Oliver was much more raw coming out of school. Still, Oliver went 58th overall, started 16 games for the Falcons last year, and will be the Falcons starter this season as well.
Starter/Depth level: Artie Burns, Darqueze Dennard, Kendall Fuller, Blidi Wreh-Wilson
These six make up 29% of the list. Wreh-Wilson, Dennard, and Fuller are average contributors who can move in and out of the slot. It is worth noting that Johnson played in the slot as a freshman, and that may be a floor comparison. Burns was over-drafted by the Steelers and now is depth competition for Johnson in his fifth NFL season. We will see just how Johnson compares, but coming out of college, Johnson has a better production profile.
Legitimate starter: Joe Haden, Marcus Peters, Chris Gamble, Kyle Fuller, Corey Webster, TreDavious White, Morris Claiborne, Patrick Robinson
The best players from the list make up 38%, the most significant portion. Players who are drafted high and have the same size and athletic features as Johnson are more likely to be a hit than not.
Peters, Fuller, White, and Haden are Pro Bowl, if not All-Pro candidates today. The ceiling is pretty high for Johnson.
Of course, with Johnson going to the Bears, Fuller stands out like a sore thumb. When Fuller came out of college, Bleacher Report noted that Fuller wrote.
"Excellent route recognition and reaction speed. Aggressive mindset against both the pass and run, Fluid athlete who wastes little to no movement. Durability concerns due to physical nature, Hand technique needs improvement for press coverage, Tends to be overaggressive at times; vulnerable to double moves"
Here is the draft profile for Jaylon Johnson
"Johnson is built for press, with the size, length and athleticism to force receivers to work harder getting into their routes. His eagerness to stay tight to the route leads to inconsistent balance and positioning from time to time, but his foot quickness and agility allow for rapid recoveries. He’s equipped to play the deep ball but needs to fully prove himself in that area. He’s a physical press corner with off-man ability whose anticipation and ball skills should continue to help him make plays as a CB1 and first-round pick."
Both built for press with fluid feet. Both are a bit over-aggressive, and many will note that while Johnson fell to durability concerns, that was in Fuller’s profile as well. To be fair, Fuller missed time early into his career with injuries.
There is a wide range of outcomes for Johnson, and you do not need this extended breakdown to tell you that. Still, this should show you what type of player you are getting with Jaylon Johnson.
Injuries are always a factor, but a downside similar to Darqueze Dennard or Kendall Fuller combined with an upside that rivals Kyle Fuller or TreDavious White is a nice range of outcomes to find.