Former Houston Texans second-round pick Lonnie Johnson is playing cornerback, but his 6-2, 213-pound frame suggests that he might be a better fit at safety in his second season.
When approached with the idea of moving Johnson to safety, first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver told Houston reporters on a conference call on Wednesday that the 24-year-old will be staying where he is on the outside.
“In terms of Lonnie moving to safety, I think Lonnie’s a corner,” Weaver said. “I think Lonnie’s a corner. I think he has press ability, he has length, he has speed. We’ve got to get his confidence right, and I don’t think he lacks in that area either.”
As a rookie from Kentucky, Johnson produced 41 tackles and seven pass breakups in 14 games, seven of which he started. Just as rookies tend to blossom later in their initial year due to increased playing time, Johnson had a boost on confidence in the divisional playoffs when he returned a 10-yard blocked punt for a touchdown early in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Weaver was impressed with the way Johnson was able to have success as a rookie, especially in a position where being burned by receivers is commonplace.
Said Weaver: “The cornerback position, particularly for rookies, is a difficult one. To come in and have success early at corner is not easy. Those guys, they’re out there on those islands, they’re all by themselves and sometimes they’re just not being put in the best positions. We’ve got to help them. I’ve got the utmost faith in our DB room.”
Johnson is part of a revamped cornerback group that has Bradley Roby, Keion Crossen, Cornell Armstrong, Phillip Gaines, Gareon Conley, and Vernon Hargreaves returning. The club also drafted a cornerback in Round 4 of the 2020 NFL Draft with John Reid from Penn State.
