NFL Draft Profile: Anthony Johnson Jr., Cornerback, Iowa State Cyclones
Anthony Johnson Jr.
Iowa State Cyclones
#26
Pos: S
Ht: 6020
Wt: 205
Hand: 0858
Arm: 3258
Wing: 7728
40: 4.63
DOB:12/2/1999
Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL
High School: St. Petersburg
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Johnson is a highly experienced and versatile defensive back, but he didn’t showcase the upside in 2022 needed to justify anything more than a late-round selection.
Evaluation:
Johnson took official measurements at the NFLPA Bowl. He’s 6001 and weighs 208 lbs. He has 8 3/4-inch hands, 32-inch arms, and a 75 1/2-inch wingspan. Johnson is a highly experienced collegiate defensive back with more than 3,100 defensive snaps to his name. He played traditional outside corner for four seasons at Iowa State before deploying in a hybrid slot/safety role in 2022. Johnson’s experience in coverage should help him cover tight ends as part of his new role at the next level. The All-Big 12 selection has special teams experience on the punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. Johnson appears to have good arm length. He shows upside blitzing from the slot. He’s willing to come downhill to challenge blockers and contribute in run support. Johnson is quick to trigger on outs, stick routes, and shallow crossers. He reads the quarterback’s eyes to get an early jump on some plays. The Florida native is an older prospect who doesn’t clearly excel in a specific traditional role. He has a lean, narrow build and displays uninspiring range and speed. Johnson had limited ball production at Iowa State and was still adjusting to his new role this past season. As such, he was involved in a few communication and assignment issues in 2022. Missed tackles are a concern for Johnson. He tries to drag down players as a tackler instead of driving through them and gets overpowered by stronger running backs. He also takes steep angles to the ball, which sometimes leads to him falling into a trail position. In coverage, Johnson gets sucked downhill by action in the backfield and opens throwing lanes over his head. The redshirt senior gives tight ends too much cushion up the seam. He struggles to navigate crowded sections of the field and has some agility limitations that prevent him from easily gearing down and redirecting to other threats. Bijan Robinson had Johnson spinning around in coverage 25 yards downfield last season, which raises further questions about the veteran’s coverage upside. He’s a tweener who could see action in a niche role for defenses that use three-safety sub packages.
Grade:
UDFA
Background:
Anthony Johnson is a returner for Iowa State. In 2021, he started all 13 games, accumulating 55 tackles with 32 solo stops, had 3.0 TFL, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Some achievements he’s received over the years include HM All-Big 12 – Coaches (2019, 2020, 2021), Academic All-Big 12 First Team (2021, 2022), Jack Trice Endowed Scholarship Recipient (2021), and Academic All-Big 12 Second Team (2019, 2020). In high school, Johnson was a three-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN.
