Bears second-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson has been quietly having an impressive start to the 2021 season. With the release of Kyle Fuller, Johnson has assumed the role of lockdown corner in Chicago’s secondary.
Through two weeks of action, Johnson is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded cornerback with a 87.0 grade. When you break it down, Johnson has a coverage grade of 83.7, which ranks third among cornerbacks, a run defense grade of 75.2 and a pass rush grade of 60.0.
Johnson was also the Bears’ highest-graded player in Week 2, notching a 92.2 grade — including a 92.3 in coverage — in Chicago’s 20-17 win against the Bengals. In that game, Johnson had four pass breakups and his first-career interception.
The cornerback with the highest PFF Grade in the NFL so far thru Week 2? pic.twitter.com/Vg6LB8Lf4U
— Brad Spielberger (@PFF_Brad) September 20, 2021
Heading into the 2021 season, there were plenty of concerns at cornerback for Chicago, although Johnson definitely wasn’t one of them. There’s a lot of inexperience opposite Johnson with Kindle Vildor and in the slot, where both Duke Shelley and Marqui Christian have found minimal success in the first couple of weeks.
Meanwhile, Johnson has been one of the Bears’ best defensive players. The sooner teams learn not to throw at Johnson, the better for them. Meanwhile, the Bears — and Johnson — certainly hope they keep trying to target him.
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