Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson should’ve been a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft. He slid to the second round because of a shoulder injury, and the Bears were rewarded with a top-32 prospect at No. 50 overall.
Now, two weeks into his pro career, Johnson is looking like a player who should’ve been a top-10 selection. He’s currently the second-highest graded rookie in the league, per Pro Football Focus, trailing only Washington’s Chase Young.
We learned that Johnson’s Week 1 was no fluke, as the rookie has been one of the stickiest outside cornerbacks in the league over the first two weeks. Johnson has seen 11 targets in his two games when lined up on the outside, and he has been in close coverage on eight of those passes. Of those eight, he’s allowed just one to be caught while forcing four incompletions. He’s allowed only five catches from 12 total targets in coverage so far, giving up just 79 yards and a passer rating of 64.2.
Jaguars cornerback CJ Henderson is tied with Johnson at No. 2 and they’re the only corners to crack PFF’s top 10 list.
As for the Lions’ first-round cornerback, Jeffery Okudah? He’s been abysmal this season, earning a 28.6 grade through two games. He’s currently Detroit’s lowest-graded defender on the year.
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