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Broncos Player Profile: Jamar Johnson | S

What does the future hold for the Broncos' rookie fifth-round pick?

The Denver Broncos doubled up on safety in the 2021 NFL draft with Indiana's Jamar Johnson being the second one selected in Round 5. There's a lot to like about Johnson, especially in coverage where he allowed a 27.5 passer rating when targeted. 

He also picked off four passes, with four pass break-ups, keeping his assignments out of the end zone. Johnson has excellent range and athleticism with a nose for the ball, making him a dangerous ball-hawk-style safety.

The big concern with Johnson is one that made him a bit of a surprise pick for the Broncos and Vic Fangio. Johnson is a terrible tackler with bad technique. In the 2020 season, he missed a whopping 13 tackles, which added up to a 26.5 missed-tackle percentage. That number was the seventh-highest for college safeties last year out of 199 total players.

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Improving Johnson's tackling technique is a must for the Broncos and the big area to improve his game. He could handle whatever came his way in college and adds a different type of safety to the Broncos' secondary to give the unit more versatility. 

Helping Johnson improve his tackling will have a trickle-down effect on his overall run defense, but he will have to improve his reads coming downhill, too, which should come with time and experience. With Johnson and fellow rookie safety Caden Sterns fighting for the Broncos' No. 3 safety spot, it's going to be a fun battle to watch. 

The two bring different safety styles which is what makes this competition so interesting. We could even see an outcome where the third safety varies depending on matchups, which is probably the best outcome for the defensive unit. 

Whatever happens, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Johnson. 


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