Tag: Antonio Johnson

Seahawks 2023 NFL mock draft: For the Love of Defense edition

This past season Seattle ranked No. 25 in scoring defense, No. 21 in defensive DVOA, and No. 26 in EPA per play.

The Seahawks have a potent offense going into 2023, presumably led by established starting QB Geno Smith. However, if they’re going to get back to the Super Bowl anytime soon they’ll need to radically improve on defense, because the numbers aren’t pretty. This past season Seattle placed poorly in both traditional and modern metrics, ranking No. 25 in scoring defense, No. 21 in defensive DVOA and No. 26 in EPA allowed per play.

While we have seen worse in recent years, it’s still a far cry from the team’s absolute peak exactly eight years ago and they haven’t fielded anything close to a top-five defense since 2016. That has to be driving Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll absolutely bananas and nuts. (Carroll admitted it’s “killing him” to reporters in his end-of-season press conference.)

Schematic tweaks will have to be made as part of the improvement. However, recapturing that special Legion of Boom feeling will require some major personnel upgrades.

With that in mind, our latest seven-round 2023 mock draft is made up exclusively of defensive picks. Here’s how it played out.

Vikings’ Monday mock draft roundup: Post Super Bowl LVII edition

The day after the Super Bowl has a ton of mock drafts. Here are all of them in one place

With the 2022 season officially over, mock drafts came out fast and furious to capitalize on the start of the offseason for the last of the 32 teams.

The latest weekly mock draft roundup dropped on Monday morning and we are now up to 118 unique mock drafts with 38 different players having been selected.

Earlier on Monday, we wrote multiple pieces on the mock drafts that were released earlier in the day. The rest of the mock drafts are right here and there are some interesting choices.

Vikings take versatile defensive back in latest Fantasy Pros Mock Draft

The Vikings take a versatile player in the latest mock draft from Fantasy Pros

There have been a plethora of cornerbacks mocked the Minnesota Vikings throughout this offseason. Now that the Super Bowl is over, the NFL Draft season is officially underway, which means more mock drafts and more cornerbacks to dive into.

On Monday, Matthew Freedman of Fantasy Pros gave the Vikings a new cornerback in his first mock draft after the Super Bowl. He has the Vikings selecting Texas A&M cornerback Antonio Johnson.

“Nos. 1-2 CBs Patrick Peterson and Chandon Sullivan are 2023 free agents — and they could both use upgrades anyway. Johnson has the length (6-3) and SEC experience to be a starting corner early in his career.”

Johnson would be a fun addition to the Vikings mainly because he has some safety experience, meaning he’d be a versatile player for Brian Flores’ defense. There is concern about where Johnson’s true position would be in the NFL. He’s a well-polished player with great size, but questions remain about his ability to play cornerback. If the Vikings draft Johnson, he’ll need some coaching but could develop into a good starting cornerback.

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Touchdown Wire has the Vikings going safety in latest mock draft

A safety in the first round is an interesting idea

We are fully into mock draft season and the latest one from our friends over at Touchdown Wire gives a unique angle to what the Vikings could do come April. Doug Farrar has the Vikings taking a safety in Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson.

This is an intriguing idea, especially with the Vikings having drafted Lewis Cine in the first round last year. What does Johnson bring to the table? Well, a little bit of everything.

He is a taller safety at 6’3″ and 195 lbs but it’s the versatility that he brings that would be intriguing for the Vikings. He can play in the slot, in the box and over the top.

One of the major concerns is just that. Does he have a true position? Depending on how defensive coordinator would want to use him, that would answer the question on if the Vikings would prioritize him in the first round.

Either way, it’s always good to add quality players to your team.

Mock draft watch: Breaking down Draft Wire’s latest 2-rounder for the Lions

Taking a look at the latest projections from Draft Wire for the Lions 2 picks in both the first and second rounds

It’s been a couple of weeks since we checked on the 2023 NFL mock draft projections. Our friends at Draft Wire updated their pick forecast after Week 12, and the changes in the picks for the Detroit Lions in the first two rounds have changed quite a bit.

The first Lions pick, the one plucked from the Rams, is No. 3 overall. With that pick acquired from trading away QB Matthew Stafford, the Lions go after their long-term quarterback. In this projection, that would be Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud,

Jared Goff isn’t a problem or anything, but he’s also not a long-term solution for the Lions. If they luck out and get a top-three pick from the Rams, this scenario would give them the perfect opportunity to land their quarterback of the future in Stroud.

Stroud is a bit of a polarizing pick, but there is no denying his high-end potential with his pinpoint accuracy and willingness to make difficult throws. Alabama players were the first two picks, with QB Bryce Young to Houston and EDGE Will Anderson to Chicago.

Detroit’s own pick comes at No. 13 overall. Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling uses this pick and the Lions’ own pick in the second round (No. 43 overall) to address the secondary. It’s Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. at 13 and Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson at 43.

Detroit’s final pick in this projection is No. 61, a pick acquired from Minnesota in the T.J Hockenson trade. I’m a big proponent of using an acquired pick on the position traded away, and Easterling does just that here. The projection is South Dakota State TE Tucker Kraft. I haven’t seen Kraft in 2022, a season he mostly missed with a foot injury. He’s well-regarded enough to declare early from the FCS level.

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Mock draft watch: Lions use Rams’ pick to take QB of the future in Draft Wire’s latest

Mock draft watch: The Lions use the Rams’ 1st round pick to take the QB of the future in Draft Wire’s latest projection

Many of the recent mock drafts have projected the Detroit Lions to tab a quarterback with their first pick in the 2023 NFL draft. The latest offering from Draft Wire keeps with that theme, but it’s a radically different pick and a quarterback we haven’t seen in the top 10 very often.

The latest from Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling projects the Lions to select Florida QB Anthony Richardson with the pick acquired from the Los Angeles Rams, which currently sits at No. 8 overall. Alabama’s Bryce Young projects to Houston at No. 1 and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud falls to Carolina at No. 3, with Richardson the third QB.

After an erratic start to the season, the inexperienced but promising Richardson has taken off as both a runner and a passer. Fans who liked the athleticism of Malik Willis in last year’s draft should really like the bigger, more accurate Richardson. Easterling compares Richardson to Buffalo’s Josh Allen as a prospect coming out of Wyoming.

The Lions’ own pick goes to Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr., a popular projection. In the second round, Draft Wire sees the Lions doubling down in the secondary with Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson.

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Mock draft watch: QB and DBs in the Lions future in latest Draft Wire 2-round projections

Mock draft watch: QB and DBs in the Lions’ future in latest Draft Wire 2-round projections

The latest set of 2023 NFL draft projections from Draft Wire is the first to feature the Detroit Lions with the No. 1 pick. Editor Luke Easterling rolls with the current draft order, and as of Week 7, the Lions hold the NFL’s worst record at 1-5.

With the No. 1 overall pick, the projection this time leads to Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud. Easterling lays out the logic,

The Lions have bigger problems on defense, and it’s not like Jared Goff hasn’t played well enough for them to be successful on offense. That said, Goff may have already hit his ceiling, and if Detroit ends up with this pick, they’d have a hard time passing up the lofty potential of Stroud.

The other two picks in the first two rounds address the defensive backfield, which is a pretty easy sell for Lions fans tired of seeing so many points in the “against” column.

With the pick acquired from the Los Angeles Rams, currently No. 20 overall, Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson gets the nod. Johnson is a repeat projection in this range, and it’s easy to see why,

This secondary needs more playmakers, and in this scenario, the best value comes on the back end. Johnson is a rangy, athletic defender who can line up single-high, in the slot, or mix it up in the box against the run, doing everything at an extremely high level.

The first pick of the second doubles up in the secondary. The pick, which is No. 32 instead of 33 because Miami forfeited its first-round pick for tampering with Tom Brady, is Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes. He’s a personal favorite of mine and a speedier, consistently tenacious upgrade over pending free agent Amani Oruwariye.

Report: Aggies will be without multiple starters against South Carolina

Texas A&M will be without multiple starters on offense and defense against South Carolina

Texas A&M is set to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday night in Columbia, South Carolina, as tonight’s kickoff is currently set for 6:30 PM CT, and will be aired on the SEC Network.

Well-known to Aggie fans and media by now, head coach Jimbo Fisher is not one to openly discuss injuries in detail throughout the pre-game week, and this time was no different as the team was coming off their bye week, and looked to be the healthiest they’ve been with the week off coming at the perfect time.

Well, as erratic as the information flow in college football media is just hours before a team is set to kick off, some surprising news hit the Aggies in the form of a tweet from TexAgs owner Billy Liucci, who stated that starting center Bryce Foster and starting guard Aki Ogunbiyi are officially out tonight, while starting nickel corner Antonio Johnson, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper may also be out for tonight’s game.

Some good news? As I alluded to in the final injury report earlier today, linebacker Andre White Jr., cornerback Tyreek Chappell, left tackle Trey Zuhn, defensive tackle Shemar Turner, and defensive end Tunmise Adeleye are slated to return to action tonight against the Gamecocks.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty

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Texas A&M’s Mid-season report card: Defense

Texas A&M’s Mid-season report card: Defense

Texas A&M is in the midst of a much-needed break as the team has played six games so far this season, sitting at a disappointing 3-3 with another six games left to show that the program is indeed progressing, just at a gradual speed.

So, as we are officially at the mid-point of the 2022 season for the maroon and white, Aggies Wire is here to hand out a couple of mid-season grades, focusing on the offense and defense so far as the team will prepare to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks on Oct. 22nd next weekend.

Defense: B+ 

Texas A&M has been well known for its historic defenses going back to the 1990s in the “wrecking crew” heyday but in the last couple of decades, they’ve been somewhat stagnant due to a lack of talent in recruiting and coaching, although the last three seasons under Mike Elko and the current regime led by D.J Durkin have fans feeling like the wrecking crew days are finally making their way back.

So far this season, Durkin has led one of the youngest defenses in the country to the 60th ranking nationally, and an impressive 16th-ranked pass defense ranking so far this season. Led by senior safety Demani Richardson, junior Nose tackle McKinnley Jackson, junior defensive back Antonio Johnson, and now the ascending sophomore safety Jardin Gilbert, the defensive unit has taken on a “bend but don’t break” mentality through the first six games, while having their best collective game so far in their recent 24-20 loss to Alabama, accounting for 4 takeaways while holding the Crimson Tide to 111 yards passing.

The headliner for the defense so far has been contributions from the true freshmen defenders, and members of the historic 2022 recruiting class. In nearly every game this season, win or lose, at least one freshman has made a singular impact, whether it was safety Bryce Anderson against Miami (8 tackles, 5 solo tackles), Shemar Stewart against Arkansas (4 tackles, 2 solo tackles, 1 sack), or the multitude of freshmen who completely showed out against Alabama, these young men will continue to receive valuable reps for the rest of the season, and continue to grow and produce at a high rate going into the 2023 season.

Texas A&M’s offense will continue to be fairly scrutinized until improvements are seen in the next six games, but overall, the defense has been solid, showing immense potential in pass rush and even run defense, an area that has struggled the most with this season. Again, this is a young defense, but man oh man, they’re going to be very good very soon.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty

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Mock draft watch: Lions load the D in latest 2-round projections from Draft Wire

Mock draft watch: Lions load the D in latest 2-round projections from Draft Wire for 2023

Four weeks is enough time to have a better idea of the team needs for the 2023 NFL draft. The updated mock draft projections from Draft Wire after Week 4 reflect precisely where the Detroit Lions should be looking for help in next year’s draft.

The defense.

Analyst Luke Easterling projected all three Lions selections in the first two rounds to the defensive side of the ball. Leading off at the No. 9 overall pick–based on the current draft order determined by the NFL standings–is Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. He’s become a popular projection for his length on the outside and hard-hitting pedigree.

With the pick acquired from the Los Angeles Rams, No. 24 overall right now, the Lions go back to the secondary with Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson.

More reinforcements are needed for the Lions’ porous defense, and in this scenario, the best marriage of fit and value comes on the back end. Johnson is a big, rangy playmaker with an impressive combination of instincts, athleticism and ball skills, and can make big plays in coverage or in run support.

In the second round, the projection turns to linebacker. Alabama’s tackling machine, Henry To’o To’o. The senior LB is undersized and lacks power but has excellent range and simply does not miss tackles. His awareness in coverage has improved in 2022 for the Crimson Tide, too. Landing To’o To’o at No. 38 would be a nice fit.

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