The Houston Texans selected Lonnie Johnson in Round 2 of the 2019 NFL draft from Kentucky to be a cornerback.
At 6-2, 213 pounds, Johnson had considerable length to shade receivers, and he was productive with 41 combined tackles and seven pass breakups through 14 games as a rookie, seven of which he started.
In 2020, under new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Johnson was moved to safety. It may have been a good move, but the timing was awful as he didn’t have a chance to participate any of the customary offseason program due to the COVID-19 lockdowns.
With a full offseason under his belt, Johnson believes he can build upon his 16 games as a safety wherein he produced 76 combined tackles, a tackle for loss, and three quarterback hits.
“Adjusting to safety last year was kind of tough because I pretty much didn’t know nothing about it,” Johnson said. “But this year, like mentally, I’m ready for it. Mentally, I’ve been improving and that aspect of my game, and just the physical part, that’s always going to be there.”
Who has helped Johnson with the transition to safety is new safeties coach Greg Jackson, who played 12 years in the NFL at the position.
“He’s been coaching for a long time,” said Johnson. “So, him coming with that experience and helping a young safety like myself, it’s meant a lot. He’s been helping me with my angles, telling me where I need to be and helping me break down the film, something I’ve never really had before. He’s a big help.”
Johnson will be paired with former 2018 third-round pick Justin Reid, who is entering a contract year, which provides for its own great expectations. Combined with new defensive coordinator Lovie Smith preaching about takeaways on a daily basis, the Texans could be in for something great with Johnson.
“This whole defense, our job is to fly around the ball and get the ball,” said Johnson. “That’s what we going to do, man. We going to get takeaways for our offense, get the ball to whoever is back there as much as possible.”