Bear Digest

Is Hard-Earned Respect for Jaylon Johnson Still Insufficient?

Another top-100 list and this one by ESPN has given Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson the respect he didn't get from the players' list for NFL.com, but it's not exactly high praise.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jaylon Johnson breaks up a Lions throw and nearly comes away with the interception last season.
Jaylon Johnson breaks up a Lions throw and nearly comes away with the interception last season. | Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Chicago Bears

Jaylon Johnson finally earned some top 100 respect.

Some would look at it and still consider it a snub.

ESPN released its annual prediction for the top 100 players of 2024, which differs from some of the top 100 or top 50s earlier that simply were based on last year or lacked specifics. This is a list compiled by a large panel of ESPN "NFL experts."

Johnson had some expletives for the NFL.com top 100 voted on by players when he was left off. This one had him on it at No. 88, and ESPN projects him at two interceptions with 55 tackles.

Even at No. 88, ESPN's Aaron Schatz mystifies with his comment about Johnson. He mentions how it's tough to call anyone the best at their position.

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"Nonetheless, Johnson was the best cornerback in the NFL in 2023," Schatz said.

Pro Football Focus had Johnson graded this way but this is the first time someone at ESPN actually labeled him such.

"He led the league in my new cornerback DVOA metric, which accounts for both coverage when targeted and frequency of being targeted," Schatz said.

And yet, ESPN has six cornerbacks rated ahead of Johnson: Seattle's Devon Witherspoon (84th), Cleveland's Denzel Ward (74th), Jalen Ramsey (45th), L'Jarius Sneed (37th), Patrick Surtain II (20th) and Sauce Gardner (17th).

If he's No. 1 at these categories and was No. 1 in the league, how is it he's No. 6 now and barely in the top 100 at 88?

Montez Sweat is rated one spot worse than Johnson which seems a slight considering, as ESPN pointed out, the Bears defense gave up almost 10 points per game less after he arrived in a trade with the Commanders.

The only other Bears player rated was DJ Moore at a very respectable 42nd. They project him to fall way off of last year's production, which was 96 catches for 1,364 yards. They have him at 77 catches and 1,048 yards. So, at 19 fewer catches and 316 yards less he gets to move up from 99th last year to 42nd this year. This doesn't seem right, either, but definitely doesn't disrespect Moore.

Caleb Williams enters into this debate, as well.

ESPN doubles up on its page hits by giving you a top 100, but then also supplying a list of people their people voting have disrespected. In some ways, this seems insincere and as bad as the disrespect. It's like making a mess and trying to take credit for cleaning it up, maybe even profiting off of it.

It's not all about who got slighted. One question asks who the rookie from this year will be who cracks the top 100 and Williams is the player.

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"It's the preseason and already Williams is showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft and proclaimed a generational talent by NFL scouts," ESPN's Matt Miller wrote. "His command of the entire field with excellent vision, mobility and arm strength is truly special, and he's just getting his first taste of the NFL. It's exciting to think where Williams will be next year with 17 games of pro experience under his belt."

He concludes Miller could wind up like C.J. Stroud on the list this year. Stroud made it to 15th on this list this year without being on it last year.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.