A Whole New Perspective for Jaylon Johnson

A different outlook, an offseason of real work and experience from a year working with Kyle Fuller have Jaylon Johnson and teammates convinced he can be a lockdown corner.

The Bears started offseason work looking to cornerback Jaylon Johnson as their new lockdown cornerback after losing Kyle Fuller due to salary cap reasons.

It seemed a bit far-fetched due to Johnson's lack of experience, with just one partial season starting and no interceptions to his credit.

While no on can call him the new Fuller yet, it does appear he's made strides as the trend setter among cornerbacks.

This much seemed to become apparent two weeks ago when Fuller made a pair of interceptions in a practice. It unleashed an avalanche of takeaways. This is a good start for someone who aspires to be a cornerback in the mode of  Fuller or even Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

"So, I mean, for me it's just about starting that, just going and getting the ball," Fields said. "Because, I mean, once you see one DB getting the ball, then Eddie wants to get the ball, then Kindle (Vildor) wants to get the ball, then the backers get involved and it just brings more juice, more energy.

"But that starts with somebody taking action, someone actually making the play."

The Bears had maintained getting turnovers was infectious but they needed someone to start it. Johnson was just the guy to do it.

Johnson learned from Fuller as a rookie and now is applying Fuller's teachings. He and other cornerbacks could have come to training camp concerned about how difficult it would be without the veteran, who is now with Denver. 

"I wouldn't say it was more difficult, no," Johnson said. "Just because what you kind of learn from Kyle makes this situation, makes what I'm going into this year, a lot easier -- having him around last year and how he approached the game, how he went about it, it not being about all the fluff and just about all the lights and cameras and all that. 

"But he really was a hard worker. We all know the film that he watched. He just led by example. And he didn't talk too much. He was real strategic in everything that he did. So I mean just being able to take those traits and take that quality from him is going to help me throughout my career."

The amount of film Fuller watched in preparation for a game was staggering.

"He'd do it all day," Johnson said. "I mean, we would go to dinner and Kyle was watching his iPad. Just the amount of reps, the amount of hours, the amount of time and sacrifice he would put into taking away a little inch from the offense or finding one thing he could do to try to jump or make a play. Just the countless times he did that over and over and over just to get that extra inch on his opponent."

Johnson said his own frame of mind approaching camp and now the season is better. He recently lost a good friend in a shooting.

"Just being able to really embrace life, know what life is about, just really trying to get better each and every day, and not take anything for granted, I feel like it's easy to say," Johnson said. "But for me, my life has really changed over the last year, last two years just having my daughter, and having people I love leave this earth. 

"So, I mean, for me it's really just about fighting each and every day, just getting better and really being able to enjoy what's here in front of me."

Now armed with this attitude, the experience of working with Fuller and something he didn't get last year -- an offseason and preseason of work -- Johnson thinks he can make the strides necessary to become the lockdown cornerback.

"For me honestly it's just a totally different ballgame," Johnson said. "I mean even last year I was limited during camp so I really didn't get the full experience of even having camp last year. So this is my first real camp. This is my first real preseason. So I'm just taking it all in and enjoying the opportunity I get to get better each and every day."  

The lack of an interception still bothers Johnson.

"In my eyes, it was a solid year for sure to build on," Johnson said. "But this year it’s just about doing the little things that I can do to really check off each and every one of my goals."  

Safety Tashaun Gipson has said it's apparent Johnson can become a top-five cornerback in the league.

"I mean my goal would be to be No. 1," Johnson said. "That's what I work for. We all know who's at the top of that list and we all know what it's going to take to get there. It’s just taking baby steps. Not really looking too far ahead but just handling what's in front of me right now."

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