Chargers Roster Spotlights: Emany Johnson, an Extremely Talented Athlete With NFL Flashes

Emany Johnson, born on November 17, 2000, in Richmond, California, played his high school ball at Hercules High School as a cornerback recruit. He played multiple different sports, adding baseball and basketball to his talents, with football being his main sport, being the team MVP for three straight years. His abilities showed early, being ranked as a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, while earning recruiting opportunities to multiple different programs, with Johnson choosing Nevada due to the coaching staff, who, on a visit, "treated me like family".

Once in Nevada, he redshirted for his first season, seeing his first real playing time in 2019 as a redshirt-freshman. More of the same came for the following years, not seeing a true starting time until 2023.

The 2023 season for Johnson had him listed as a starting defensive back, where he spent time all over the defensive backfield, being named All-Mountain West First Team with 99 tackles, three and a half tackles for loss and three interceptions.

As a sixth-year senior playing in the Mountain West, Johnson unfortunately did not see much hype in the 2024 NFL Draft process, even with his elite athletic traits posted below in his RAS card. He was picked up as a UDFA by the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, being released in November of the same year.

Chargers Emany Johnson, LB Nevada

He found his way to the Los Angeles Chargers shortly after, eventually being signed as a futures player for the 2025 season. During 2025, Johnson was moved to linebacker, taking advantage of his larger frame for a DB and putting his athletic tools closer to the line of scrimmage.

With flashes in the preseason, Johnson unfortunately still was unable to crack the final 53-man roster, but did earn an elevation in September, not playing in any snaps. He has been signed for the 2026 season on another futures contract.

2025 Season Stats (Preseason)

4 Games Played
22 Tackles (led team)
No other statistics were recorded

Measurables

Mockdraftable measurables are unavailable for Emany Johnson. Below is his RAS card, *as a Safety*.

Emany Johnson is a SS prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 9.58 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 46 out of 1060 SS from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/q7Cn9ROgNA pic.twitter.com/Yqh5TKc6O7
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 6, 2024

Contract Status

"Emany Johnson signed a 1 year, $885,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including an average annual salary of $885,000. In 2026, Johnson will earn a base salary of $885,000, while carrying a cap hit of $885,000." - Spotrac

Emany Johnson's 2026 Season Outlook

The Chargers LB room is pretty set for the upcoming 2026 season, with guys like Junior Colson and Marlowe Wax fighting for the final spot; and that is if the Bolts decide to keep five LBs on the roster, which has been known to play a lot of Nickel packages.

That would leave Johnson off the active roster, but there is no denying that he has talent and has flashed in the preseason as someone who can be called up from the practice squad and play if necessary.

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