PFF Heaps Massive Praise on Broncos for Drafting Indiana S Jamar Johnson in Round 5

When the Denver Broncos selected Indiana safety Jamar Johnson with the 164th overall selection of the 2021 NFL draft, many fans in were confused. After all, the Broncos had just taken Texas safety Caden Sterns 12 picks prior.

Why the double-dip at the safety position, especially a prospect with widely discussed concerns about his tackling ability?

Answer: It's a multi-layered discussion that deserves a lot more nuance than just accepting the selection at face value. You've got to dig a little bit deeper.

Last season, the Broncos' safety depth was practically non-existent behind Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson, especially down the stretch. Alijah Holder and Trey Marshall were forced to play at the cornerback position due to the ravages of the injury bug which claimed the seasons of Essang Bassey and Duke Dawson as well as limiting the impact of starters A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan.

Having those two cornerbacks out of the rotation forced a late-season promotion of P.J. Locke from the practice squad to the active roster. Though the two played admirably for depth defenders, there was a need to upgrade the quality of the room and bring more depth to the rotation.

There is also the fact that Jackson will be playing this age-33 season and is already showing signs of slowing down. His physicality and professionalism in his approach to the game are necessities for this defense, but there was a need for a youth movement. Plus, Jackson should be a great mentor for his newest teammates.

Sterns and Johnson provide high-quality, ball-hawking ability with incredible range and special teams versatility, something that the Broncos have struggled with over the past handful of seasons. Denver needed to add two safeties in some way, shape, or form.

But what makes the Johnson pick so intriguing is the incredible value of the player given the pre-draft process. Widely considered one of the top safeties in what was a stacked safety class, Johnson falling to the Broncos in the fifth round of the draft is being lauded as one of the biggest steals of Day 3, per Pro Football Focus.

PFF Big Board Rank: 47

Johnson sliding this far wasn’t a complete shock, as we at PFF were a lot higher than most on the Indiana safety. Tackling issues and lack of experience were two of the biggest things scaring teams away, as he has missed 22.5% of his tackle attempts over his career and has played just shy of 800 snaps in that span. For reference, Trevon Moehrig, the top safety on PFF's draft board, played more than twice as many snaps in his TCU career.

Still, the coverage ability Johnson flashed in his smaller sample is too good to ignore. Johnson played all over the field for the Hoosiers and thrived in every role he played, displaying the nimble feet and the smooth hips that are required on the back end in the NFL. Johnson produced an 89.3 coverage grade in an Indiana career that featured seven interceptions and six forced incompletions. He’s a perfect fit for this Vic Fangio defense and is a fantastic addition to an already stacked secondary.

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Johnson was a highly productive safety for the Hoosiers and produced one of the best games of his career against Ohio State. It was a game that saw him reel in a pair of interceptions off of Justin Fields, one of the top quarterback prospects in the class. Johnson's range and ball skills fit in seamlessly for Vic Fangio's defense.

The fly in the ointment is his poor tackling ability. Fangio places an edict on keeping the play in front of you with sound tackling form. Give up the yards at the catch, but not anything extra afterward.

"We all had some good feelings about him," Fangio said Saturday night at the conclusion of the draft. "He's a guy that played well. Didn't tackle as well as he should've all of the time, which he eluded to with you guys. We like his talent, his potential, and his ability. It'll be good competition between those two guys and the other safeties that are already on the roster.”

Fangio and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell see something to work with there and possibly can coach him out of those poor techniques.

Michael Carter -> Jets
Jamar Johnson -> Broncos
Tay Gowan -> Cardinals
Bobby Brown -> Rams
Josh Kaindoh -> Chiefs

@PFF_Mike's favorite Day 3 fits pic.twitter.com/wbHsJmDREz
— PFF (@PFF) May 2, 2021

With value, scheme fit, and versatility on his side, Johnson is a home run for the first-time GM Paton. Paton crushed his first draft as the man in charge, but Johnson may have been the best selection of his class.

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