Chris Johnson

● Calm feet and fluid hips for natural transitions from press ● Shows excellent feel and anticipation from off coverage 515 Back to table of contents -- 519 of 629 -- ● Flashes a burst to close when triggering on routes ● Baits throws and plays the football like a wide receiver ● Balances vision between route and quarterback to track the ball ● Has an extra gear to make up ground deep after he’s initially beat ● Returned two interceptions for touchdowns in 2025 (his 146 interception return yards ranked No. 3 in the FBS) ● Eager run defender — won’t jump off the tracks to escape oncoming train ● Played on special teams coverages all four seasons (687 career snaps), including as a gunner (blocked punt in 2024) ● Young for his grade (started kindergarten a year early) ● Sterling character feedback from teams (NFL scout: “His ‘give-a-s—’ factor is to the moon … leader of the DB room … likeable kid — his parents did an amazing job.”)

● Narrow bone structure with marginal muscle mass, especially on his limbs ● Long speed is only average on tape, although his stopwatch times were above average ● Takes foot off the gas slightly when turning to find the ball ● Can get out-physicaled by size on the outside ● Toughness vs. the run is there, but he’ll get run over by backs when tackling form isn’t on point ● Of 23 career starts, just two came vs. Power 4 competition (Cal in 2024 and 2025) ● Occasionally moved inside on subpackage downs but doesn’t have a lot of slot experience (88.6 percent of his snaps were outside in 2025) ● Missed one game as a senior because of injury (November 2025)

A two-year starter at San Diego State, Johnson was the left outside cornerback in Demetrius Sumler’s balanced scheme (zone and man, press and off). He put himself on the NFL radar with a productive junior season and took his game to another level as a senior, earning All-America and Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors. When he was targeted in 2025, opponents completed just 41.9 percent of throws — Johnson had 13 passes defended and four interceptions and allowed zero touchdowns. Johnson is a sticky cover man, in both man and zone. He plays with clean pedal mechanics to mirror and match in press man and flashes a burst to regain phase down the field. He is hyperaware in zone to drive on throws and consistently play through catch windows. He can get big-boyed at times by receivers and in the run game, but he doesn’t go down without a fight. Overall, Johnson offers a combination of instinctive eyes and athletic movement skills that allow him to consistently make plays on the football. He should compete for a starting role on day one, while also making an impact on special teams.