Florida defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson said he met with every team (including the Denver Broncos) at the NFL combine earlier this month, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.
Gardner-Johnson (5-11, 210 pounds) ran a 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 17 times at the combine. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared him to Nate Allen, who was a second-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft.
During his three years with the Gators, Gardner-Johnson totaled 161 tackles (including 15.5 tackles for losses), four sacks and nine interceptions. He also broke up 12 passes and scored three times on interception returns.
After releasing veteran Darian Stewart, the Broncos signed cornerback/safety Kareem Jackson during free agency. Depending on how the team plans to use Jackson, Denver may want to add another safety through the draft.
The Broncos may view Gardner-Johnson as another cornerback/safety hybrid.
“Gardner-Johnson has all the tools to be a reliable player at the next level,” Draft Wire’s Gavino Borquez wrote of the defensive back in December. “He is versatile enough to play strong safety or nickel cornerback.”
CGJ is likely among the safeties Denver will consider in April’s draft.
