Jaylon Johnson – CB – Utah
Mock Draft – Sports Illustrated – Kevin Hanson – 3/20/2020
Other Players Available: Zack Baun (LB, Wisconsin), Cesar Ruiz (IOL, Michigan), Jeff Gladney (CB, TCU), D’Andre Swift (RB, Georgia)
Jaylon Johnson is a 6-foot, 193 pound physical press man corner. He doesn’t have elite speed or quickness, but he does a great job of being physical near the line of scrimmage and sticking close to his man to make them work for receptions. He may not have some of the elite traits of a few of the other corners, but if the Chiefs are looking for a physical outside corner to play press man coverage, Johnson could be a good fit.
A lot of mock drafts have him going in the early to mid second round, but the late first is certainly a possibility, especially if he is a good scheme fit (and he might be for Kansas City).
My Take On This Pick:
I love the idea of the Chiefs taking a cornerback with their first round pick. While linebacker is also a huge need, I think cornerback is a more premium position in today’s NFL. Johnson also seems like a good fit for the Chiefs. That having been said, I do have him slightly behind AJ Terrell (who was off the board in this mock) and Jeff Gladney (who was available) on my list of corners that I’d like them to target in the first round. So this is a solid pick for me, but not quite my first choice.
The final prospect in this piece was hands down the most popular pick for the Chiefs. While no other prospect was picked more than once, this final prospect was mocked to the Chiefs in four different mock drafts.