Chicago Bears rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson has been one of the team’s biggest bright spots in 2020. After being selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, the former Utah star has surpassed what were already high expectations for the 50th overall selection.
Johnson began his first training camp with the Bears recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and the assumption was it would take some time before he’d enter the starting lineup. Instead, Johnson was a Week 1 first-teamer and has thrived in his role opposite Kyle Fuller.
Through eight games, Johnson has 26 tackles and 10 passes defended and has come up clutch in key moments.
His play earned him a spot on The Athletic’s Midseason All-Rookie Team.
Although he is still searching for his first NFL interception, Johnson is tied for the rookie lead with 10 passes defended, and he has one of the best burn rates (50.0 percent) among all first-year players. He also rarely leaves the field, ranking top five among all NFL players in defensive snaps.
If he wants to hold onto this top spot, he will need to cut down on the penalties (four) and turn the break-ups into turnovers in the second half of the season. Regardless, he has proven to be reliable versus the run and one of the highest-graded man-to-man corners through eight games.
The Bears didn’t have a first-round pick in 2020, but Johnson’s play has more than made up for it. He’s outplaying top selections at his position like Jeff Okudah (Lions) and CJ Henderson (Jaguars), both of whom were top-10 picks.