om now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I will be profiling Texas A&M DB Antonio Johnson.
#27 Antonio Johnson/DB Texas A&M – 6’3 195 (True Junior)
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Antonio Johnson | 6030, 195 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
The Good
— Big frame with good length and bulk and muscle
— Quick trigger player who flies in downhill
— Physical player who throws his weight around and flashes hit power when he’s able to square runners up, forced multiple fumbles
— Fills alley with authority and conviction, plays the run hard
— Versatile who aligned all over his defense, experience as box safety, slot, overhang, post safety, asked to play in man/zone and blitz
— Good burst and able to accelerate and close space, solid straight-line athlete
— Able to carry routes vertically and run with overs in man coverage
— Young player with room to grow
The Bad
— Tight-hipped and struggles to change direction
— Misses too many tackles when asked to change path coming downhill
— Lacks true NFL fit, plenty of experience in the slot but may struggle to consistently match against shifty/smaller receivers
— Doesn’t have a ton of starting experience
— Didn’t make impact plays on the football, only one career INT and one PD in 2022
Bio
— Only 21 years old, doesn’t turn 22 until October
— 19 career starts for the Aggies
— Career: 164 tackles (14 TFL), 4 FFs, 2 sacks, 1 INT
— 2022: 71 tackles (5 TFL), 3 FFs, 1 PD, 0 INTs
— Missed three games in 2022 due to injury
— Four-star recruit from East St. Louis, Illinois, chose Texas A&M over Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, and many other schools
— Initially committed to Tennessee before de-committing a month later after visiting A&M’s campus
— Played DB and WR in high school, catch seven touchdowns and picked off two passes senior year, also returned punts, team went 14-0 senior season and won state title
— Lost friend to gun violence in 2019, house burned down in same year, helped shape his current perspective on life
Tape Breakdown
There’s no clear-cut top safety in this class with some believing Johnson is that guy. A true junior who hasn’t played a ton of football, there’s some quality tape out there. Johnson has great size and the room to add even more to his frame. Versatile, he lined up all over the Aggies’ defense. Though often listed and labeled a safety, he spent plenty of time as a slot corner/overhang defender. It allowed him to play closer to the line of scrimmage and bang against the run. In a line, he displays hit power and tenacity to bring the boom.
Johnson can run and carry routes in man coverage. He also shows a quick downhill trigger to drive on the ball with a big and powerful lower half. Not a ton of reps of him as a free safety but you see him carry #2 here and though the ball is underthrown, he’s running step-for-step with it.
Johnson only played three seasons and started two. Still just 21, he’s got room to grow and he’s an impressive athlete who should test well.
The biggest and central issue I have with his game is the lower body tightness. He’s stiff in his ankles and will struggle to change direction coming downhill. He had a ton of missed tackles on tape almost all of the same variety. Run game or downhill, runner changes paths, he misses. Sometimes his frame and upper body strength is enough to still make the play but his missed tackle rate here is high. Unless he can run in a perfectly straight line where the runner doesn’t have space to make a move. Cut-ups of what I’m talking about.
Conclusion
Overall, Johnson has a good athletic profile in many ways and he’s physical and aggressive. There’s a lot of positive traits in his game. But I worry about that tightness and how that’s going to limit him at the next level. Johnson played a ton in the slot but he’s not going to be a nickel corner covering slot wideouts who will create space against him on option routes. He’s best as a strong safety and enjoys playing the run but missed tackles and lack of impact plays in the pass game are a worry.
I try to avoid being too Steeler-centric with my comps but he really feels a lot like Terrell Edmunds. Johnson is a little more instinctual and an Edmunds’ comp isn’t the worst thing but there’s a cap to his ceiling.
Projection: Early Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 7.6 – Potential Starter/Good Backup (Third Round)
Games Watched: vs Miami (FL – 2022), vs Arkansas (2022), at Alabama (2022)
