When the Chicago Bears drafted Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson at #50 in the 2nd round, experts applauded. They felt GM Ryan Pace had gotten a really good football player. If not for a shoulder issue that hampered him last season, he probably would’ve been a 1st round pick. Sounds great, right? Then again optimism is always prevalent during draft season.
Turns out they may have actually been selling the kid short. Johnson came across as a confident young man in his first interviews. One who doesn’t fear the prospect of playing against the NFL’s best. Why? He believes he belongs at this level. Not just because of his athletic ability but also all the work he puts in at practice and the film room.
If fans weren’t certain of this before, Johnson left no doubts during his latest press conference. When asked if he’s intimidated by the prospect of facing somebody like Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones on Sunday, the rookie didn’t even flinch.
“No, not since I’ve gotten to the NFL. I did as a kid in high school and maybe in college, but at the end of the day, he bleeds the same way I bleed, so I’m just going to go out there and compete. I mean, he’s the best, and I consider myself one of the best, so we’ve just got to match up.”
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Jaylon Johnson is certainly playing that way so far
Unsurprisingly, opposing quarterbacks have gone at Johnson quite a bit to start this season. Rookies always tend to be favored targets. The big surprise is how little success they’ve had. In 13 targets to this point, Johnson has allowed just six catches for 94 yards and a 70.7 passer rating. That included five pass deflections. One of which resulted in an interception by Kyle Fuller against the Lions.
The film backs it up. Johnson has looked sticky in coverage almost every time his number appears. He is rarely beaten and shows that critical corner mentality of forgetting the previous play seconds after it happened. It’s little wonder the Bears expressed so much confidence in starting him this year rather than seeking out a veteran.
That kind of swagger is exactly what that team needs.