Linebacker Emany Johnson is next up in our 90-in-90 series!
Let’s get to know this young defender who has been making his name known on special teams!
The Basics
Height: 6’2
Weight: 218 pounds
College: Nevada
Experience: 2
Johnson was a standout three-sport athlete at Hercules High School in Hercules, California (football, baseball, basketball). On the gridiron, he was named the team’s MVP three consecutive seasons and was a First-Team All-League selection from 2015-2017.
During his senior season, Johnson recorded
25 tackles, four pass breakups, and two interceptions on defense. On offense, he took seven carries for 151 yards and one touchdown to go with 24 receptions, 536 receiving yards, and four touchdowns as a pass catcher. To top it all off, he averaged over 40.0 yards per kickoff return.
Johnson decided to stay near the West Coast for his collegiate career and ultimately chose the University of Nevada over other Division 1 offers. As a true freshman in 2018, he saw time in a pair of games before utilizing a redshirt.
In his first full year in 2019, Johnson played in eight games and recorded 30 tackles with one tackle for loss. During the shortened 2020 season, he played in all nine games and once again recorded 30 total tackles.
Over the next two seasons (2021-2022), Johnson played in 24 games as a backup and totaled 36 tackles, one tackle for loss, and three pass breakups. In his sixth and final collegiate season, Johnson finally achieved that breakout season while starting 11 of the 12 games he played in. He ended the year with 100 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, three interceptions, and one forced fumble which were all career highs across the board. For his efforts, Johnson earned First-Team All-Mountain West honors for the first time in his career.
Despite the late breakout, Johnson was not selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a UDFA but was released in November of that year.
After the season, Johnson signed a reserve/futures contract with the Chargers in January of 2025. Later that year, Johnson was elevated to the active roster for the first time on September 20th but did not record any snaps against the Broncos in Week Three.
Johnson once again was signed to a reserve/futures contract in January of 2026.
The Good
Johnson is an undersized linebacker who makes the most of his physical gifts by being a reliable special-teamer for the Chargers.
During the pre-draft process, he posted an elite 9.58 relative atheltic score (RAS) that ranked 46th out of 1,060 strong safeties from 1987-2024. His best numbers came in the 40 (4.50) and the vertical jump (38 inches).
The Bad
Based on the RAS profile above, you can see that Johnson was somewhat average in his agility drills. That’s likely what led to him moving from safety to linebacker in the NFL.
At 218 pounds, Johnson is unfortunately stuck as a ‘tweener with the athletic ability to play box safety in Dime looks but not enough mass to play in base formations.
2026 Outlook
The off-ball linebacker room will begin training camp with eight bodies. The only new member from last year’s group is UDFA Lander Barton who has much better size than Johnson. Right now, Johnson’s ability on special teams will be the deciding factor on whether or not he can sneak onto the active roster or if he’ll once again stick on the practice squad.
