Chris Johnson, CB
School: San Diego State | Conference: Mountain West
College Experience:
Height / Weight: 6’0” / 193 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 2nd Round
Player Comparison: Kendall Fuller
College Statistics
| Tackles | Def Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Comb | TFL | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | IntTD | PD | FR | Yds | FRTD | FF | Awards |
| 2022* | San Diego State | MWC | FR | DB | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | San Diego State | MWC | SO | CB | 12 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 44 | 44.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2024 | San Diego State | MWC | JR | CB | 12 | 49 | 18 | 67 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 42 | 42.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2025* | San Diego State | MWC | SR | CB | 11 | 36 | 13 | 49 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 4 | 146 | 36.5 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Career | 47 | 105 | 47 | 152 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 6 | 232 | 38.7 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||||
Player Overview
At his high school in Eastvale, California, Chris Johnson was impactful in all three phases of the game. On top of being a receiver and a returner, Johnson put up respectable numbers on defense. His play earned him a three-star recruiting ranking and the attention of schools like Boston College,
Northwestern, Boise State, San Jose State, and Army. Johnson chose to stay close to home and attend San Diego State.
Johnson did not start as a freshman, but that didn’t stop him from seeing the field. He played in 12 of 13 games on defense and special teams. Despite the limited snaps, he was named the Aztecs outstanding freshman on defense. With more snaps as a sophomore, Johnson snagged his first interception. He would be named the team’s Special Teams Player of the Year at the season’s end. As a junior, Johnson would receive all-Mountain West recognition after leading the conference in forced fumbles; grabbing an interception, and making a career-high number of tackles. He built on that in his final season. Johnson would make a career-high four interceptions, two going for TDs, on the way to being first-team all-Mountain West, Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and second-team All-American.
Strengths
- 6′, 193 lbs with 30.5 inch arms. Not bad size, but a touch small.
- Smooth back pedal with good footwork and change of direction
- Recognizes and reacts to route combinations in off man and zone
- Excellent closing ability and attacks the ball
- Will get involved in the run game with solid tackling
Weaknesses
- Can be thrown off balance by good route runners
- Needs to consistently get head around and look for the ball on deep throws
- Can be slow opening his hips and running with vertical routes
- Needs to be more physical in press man coverage
Let’s See His Work
(via nfl.com/iq)
How He Fits on the Commanders
The new look Commanders cornerback group includes draft picks Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos along with free agent signings Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon. Amos looks to start at one of the outside cornerback positions with Witherspoon as a reserve. While Sainristil and Robertson have experience outside, the Commanders would be smart to look for a young corner that could become a starter at outside corner.
Chris Johnson projects to be an outside corner in a scheme that plays a lot of zone or off man coverage. Any scheme that allows him to watch the action develop in front of him and allows him to react to the ball stands to get the most out of his assets. He could also become a good press man cornerback, but he’ll have be more aggressive to find more success in that scheme. If the Commanders want an attacking front that pressures the quarterback quickly, Johnson should be able to pounce on passes. With Johnson projected as an early to mid-second round pick, the Commanders would likely have to maneuver the draft board and acquire a pick to have a chance to draft him. If the team does, Johnson could reward them with starting cornerback play.
