Jaylon Johnson was one of the best cornerbacks in the country this past 2019 college season. Most draft experts agree he was the best pick made by the Chicago Bears at 50th overall in the 2nd round. If not for a series of shoulder injuries, he likely would’ve gone in the 1st round. Instead, the team found their heir apparent to Prince Amukamara. Somebody they hope can be a starter for a long time.
One person who sees that being the case is Scott Mitchell. For those younger Bears fans who might not know the name, he was a quarterback who played 12 years in the NFL. The most prominent being with the Detroit Lions in the 1990s. He led them to the playoffs twice and even topped 4,000 yards passing in 1995.
During a prospect breakdown for KSL Sports, he gushed over how good Johnson is and could be. One thing that stuck out to him the most? His willingness to challenge the best receiver every opponent had.
“We’re going to start with star coverage. Star coverage is when you have a great defensive back whose job is to cover the very best wide receiver on the other team and there’s a lot of good wide receivers in the Pac-12. When you can do that, when you have a player of Jaylon’s talent, it makes everything so much easier.”
Jaylon Johnson did his job better than most would’ve
It would be one thing for a corner to accept the task of cover the top receiver each week. It’s quite another to do it well. Very few can and Johnson was one of them. The numbers certainly show this as he allowed just four receptions of 10 yards or more against notable #1 receivers last season. This includes an eventual 1st round pick and two 2nd round picks.
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This is a kid that openly declared he wanted to cover Davante Adams in the NFL. It was one of his career goals. Now he’ll get to do it twice a year. He doesn’t lack for confidence. If the Bears did indeed get a special player, then their secondary should be in good hands for many years to come.
