What are the KC Chiefs getting in cornerback Lonnie Johnson?

What exactly should the Kansas City Chiefs expect from cornerback Lonnie Johnson? We asked a Houston Texans expert for details.

Earlier this week, Kansas CIty Chiefs general manager Brett Veach decided to continue to make a number of moves even after the conclusion of a very busy 2020 NFL Draft—a three-day event in which he made 10 total picks and two trades.

After the draft, Veach further bolstered the cornerback position by trading a future seventh-round choice to the Houston Texans in exchange for fourth-year cornerback Lonnie Johnson. The move was part of the wholesale changes made within the secondary this offseason for the Chiefs, and it’s the latest low-risk effort to invest in a former high pick on the part of Veach’s front office.

Johnson has had a pretty mercurial career to date in the NFL, but it’s hard to tell how much of that inconsistency is his fault. After all, the Texans aren’t exactly a model organization and he’s been yanked between corner and safety a couple of times. In order to help figure out how to read the tea leaves on Johnson’s potential, we reached out to our friend Aarron Van Buren from Toro Times to tell us more about Johnson’s past and what a change of scenery might mean.

What have the last three seasons brought from Lonnie Johnson? Any noticeable progress on the field?

Lonnie Johnson Jr. hasn’t had the best time in Houston. Much like Justin Reid, Johnson has had turmoil when it comes to the stability of his defensive coordinator. Despite that, he made more tackles each year (a good or bad thing is for you to decide). He also didn’t notch an interception until this year when he had three of them.

Why would the Texans basically give away a young corner at this stage?

It’s a regime movement if I had to make a guess at it. It’s one of the last few Bill O’Brien-era players to leave the Texans. Johnson also struggled mightily after playing safety for a while this year and he became a glutton for angry tweets from Texans fans throughout the year. Only once he was moved back to cornerback did the angry tweets stop, as he did better, but it wasn’t a night-and-day difference.

Is there any reason to believe Johnson could benefit from a change of scenery?

If his latest tweet is any indicator, he should definitely benefit from a change of scenery. He’ll join Justin Reid and Geron Christian in Kansas City as the pipeline continues to grow. Hopefully, Steve Spagnulo can help Johnson thrive in a different scheme. Otherwise, the Chiefs may have the cornerback version of Daniel Sorensen all over again.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………