Chicago Bears rookie Jaylon Johnson was the seventh cornerback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he certainly hasn’t forgotten that there were six others taken ahead of him. It’s something that has motivated him even more, determined to prove those six teams wrong.
And, so far, he’s doing just that.
Johnson is the third-highest rated cornerback in the NFL — not just among rookies — with a 80.3 grade, according to Pro Football Focus, trailing just Green Bay’s Jaire Alexander and the Giants’ James Bradberry.
Highest-graded CBs through W2:
1. Jaire Alexander – 86.3
2. James Bradberry – 86.0
3. Jaylon Johnson – 80.3
4. Janoris Jenkins – 78.9
5. Fabian Moreau – 75.5 pic.twitter.com/MoeOZxxmpb— PFF (@PFF) September 26, 2020
Johnson has jumped out to an impressive start in his two NFL games, where he’s allowed three catches on seven targets (42.9%) for 55 yards. His five pass break-ups are the second-most in the NFL and he’s allowed a 64.2 passer rating when targeted, which is better than the six cornerbacks drafted ahead of him.
Johnson will face his toughest test yet when he goes against the Atlanta Falcons’ high-powered offense, which is averaging 32 points per game (5th in NFL) and 350 passing yards per game (2nd). He’ll also face a passing attack that features stars Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, who have combined for over 400 receiving yards and four touchdowns in two weeks.