Former Ute Jaylon Johnson ready for big role with the Chicago Bears

When starting cornerback Artie Burns went down with a torn ACL during training camp, second round pick and former Utah star Jaylon Johnson just became a massive commodity

Twenty four years ago, Walt Harris took the field for the Chicago Bears during the 1996-97 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. Not only did Harris turn in a dominating performance (nine tackles and a forced fumble), it was the last time Chicago started a rookie cornerback in a season opener.

But when cornerback Artie Burns went down in training camp with a torn ACL, all eyes then turned to Chicago's second round pick Jaylon Johnson. 

Bears now need rookie second-round pick, Jaylon Johnson, to be ready to become the opening-day starting right cornerback. https://t.co/NrIeQ1i6u9

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2020

"I've always felt like I was ready, even in college," said Johnson. "I prepared my whole life, I prepared in college, just everything I was doing was just to be ready for this situation. So now coming into it and it being real, I feel like everything I have worked for, everything I've been doing all these years just came to pass, and now that I am here, I feel like I'm ready."

According to the Chicago depth chart, Johnson was set to challenge for playing time early in the season, helping the Bears replace Prince Amukamara. Burns was set to take over the starter's role to begin the season but with him going down, Johnson is going to have to prove that he's ready for that role.

While there is no questioning Johnson's ability on the football field, there are questions regarding his health and if he'll even be ready for the season opener against Detroit on Sept. 13.

Johnson underwent surgery after the NFL combine in March to repair a torn labrum — an injury he played with for most of last year after previously having two surgeries on the same shoulder. While he has taken part in individual and positional drills during camp, Johnson has yet to participate in full-team periods — which is something he'll need to do before stepping onto the field for real.

“You see everybody out here competing and you just want to be a part of it all entirely,” Johnson said Thursday to the Chicago Tribune. “For me, it’s just staying true to myself and knowing who I am and what I am able to do and then just trusting the staff and trusting the trainers ... that they are protecting me and I am good for the long run.”

The position Johnson finds himself in is similar to when he arrived at Utah back in 2017 as the highest-rated recruit in program history.

Utah had just lost two cornerbacks to the NFL so there was a potential opening in the secondary, and Johnson was ready from the second he stepped onto campus. He quickly earned the starter's role for his mental preparation of the game, knowing the physical skills would come later with experience and maturation.

"My freshman year, I knew right away coming into it," Johnson told the Chicago Bears website. "I knew what the depth chart was looking like on my way into Utah. At the end of the day, it was just about learning my assignments and then just perfecting my technique, and that was something I did throughout my whole career."

Now Johnson is fighting the clock as the Bears opener is 23 days away. That means Johnson will have 23 days to prove that he is healthy and ready to not only step onto the field, but contribute against Detroit's high-octane offense with quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

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