2023 NFL Draft: Does Texas A&M's Antonio Johnson Make Sense For the Jaguars?

This time, we take a look at the physical Aggies safety and what he could bring to the Jaguars' defense.

The 2023 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold nine picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 24 overall pick.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

This time, we take a look at Texas A&M defensive back Antonio Johnson.

Overview

One of the top defensive back recruits in the 2020 class, Antonio Johnson earned a lot of accolades on his way to committing to Texas A&M. An East St. Louis native, Johnson was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 4 safety prospect in the country, while also ranking as the No. 78th prospect nationally and the top prospect in Illinois. 

Johnson received 25 offers out of high school, with programs such as Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin before ultimately committing to Texas A&M. 

Johnson played in seven games and started one as a true freshman in 2020, recording 14 tackles and one pass breakup. He entered 2021 as a starter, starting all 12 games and winning the team's Defensive Playmaker Award, recording 79 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception, one sack, one forced fumble, and 8.5 tackles for loss. 

Johnson finished his college career as a second-year starter, recording 71 tackles, one pass deflection one interception, one sack, and five tackles for loss.

What Antonio Johnson Does Well

Johnson is a pure thumper and enforcer at the safety/slot position. He played more slot than deep safety with the Aggies and even spent a considerable amount of time as a box defender as a dime linebacker. He was able to thrive in each of these roles because his athleticism and physicality allowed Texas A&M's staff to deploy him in a number of ways.

In coverage, Johnson is best as a robber defender who can play with his eyes to the quarterback and drive downhill on the ball and on receivers. He does a great job of disrupting the catch point by using his length and frame to play through the ball while also delivering physical hits, jarring the ball loose on underneath routes at a high frequency. 

As a run defender, Johnson can do it all. He can square up and stop a running back at the line of scrimmage from the slot, from the linebacker position, coming off the edge, or even rotating downhill as a high safety. He is a natural run defender who takes good angles, diagnoses plays quickly, and flies to the football with impressive closing speed. In terms of filling the alley as a free safety and making form tackles in open space, it likely doesn't get much better than Johnson.

Johnson's burst and physicality make him a threat as a blitzer all across the formation as well. He can detonate a bomb in backfields with the way he uses his power and explosion to attack blocking running backs, while his physical nature lead to several turnovers after sacks on the quarterback during his college career.

How Antonio Johnson Would Fit With the Jaguars

The Jaguars are in need of a cover man in the slot after the position was exposed at times during the 2022 season. Jacksonville has two starting outside cornerbacks in Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams, but they enter the offseason in search of a slot defender who can stick with receivers downfield.

On the surface, that might not exactly be Johnson's game, at least not with the Jaguars' current roster. Johnson is a talented defender who can increase a defense's physicality, toughness and big-play ability, but there aren't a lot of reps on his tape of him making plays in coverage downfield. He is a bit of a positionless player, but his best role might not be the role the Jaguars need to upgrade in 2023. 

Johnson would make sense in the Rayshawn Jenkins' role, playing in the box and occasionally in the slot and acting as a hammer against the run and in underneath zones. He is best in the box and moving forward, so he does not make as much sense as their slot answer as other defensive backs in this class. With that said, the Jaguars' high level of blitzing in the secondary would play directly into Johnson's strengths. If they had a bigger need at safety, he would make a lot of sense.

Verdict

Johnson is an incredibly gifted football player whose throwback traits can serve him well in the right defensive scheme. He is never going to be the nickel or safety on a defense who can travel with all types of offensive weapons in coverage downfield, but he is an enforcer who can fulfill multiple roles in an attacking defense. 

Does that sound like a player worth taking at No. 24 overall? In a vacuum not quite, especially if you are the Jaguars. Johnson would be a nice addition to the Jaguars' secondary in terms of physicality, but No. 56 would be the first pick they have that could justify the selection based on his coverage ability. 

• CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
• CB/S Brian Branch, Alabama
• TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame 
• CB Cam Smith, South Carolina