Steelers Scouting Report: Utah CB Jaylon Johnson

The Steelers have expressed some interest in adding a cornerback this offseason. Jaylon Johnson is a name that could surprise you at pick 49.

I know there is a crowd out there that is outraged at the thought of the Steelers drafting a cornerback with the 49th overall pick – and I completely understand that. Joe Haden and Steven Nelson are coming off arguably the best seasons of their respective careers. Behind them, nickel cornerback Mike Hilton was retained on a second-round tender for the 2020 season, and Cameron Sutton has been impressive in limited action.

Despite all of this, the Steelers met with more cornerbacks at the NFL Combine than any other position, according to Walter Football’s NFL Draft Prospect Visit Tracker. Though we did not get the opportunity to see if that interest would have persisted throughout Pro Day’s, Jaylon Johnson is a guy who could quietly be on Pittsburgh’s radar. Here’s my Steelers scouting report on the Utah cornerback:

CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah

Strengths:

• Gritty physical defender with potential as a lockdown corner at the NFL level
• Terrific skills in press coverage, uses his arms to his advantage
• Rarely gets himself out of position, keeps receiver where he wants him
• Versatility to play off-man and zone
• Plus instincts and creation to break on passes
• Attacks the ball in the air, rarely allows easy catches
• Graduated early as a true junior at Utah
• Good combination of size (6’0” and 193 pounds) and athleticism
• Solid run defender who actively looks to shed his man to help out

Weaknesses:

• Not the smoothest mover, just average change of direction skills
• Gives up some ground on vertical routes
• Just average top-end speed
• Nagging shoulder injury is a concern

Jaylon Johnson’s fit in Pittsburgh:

Though he is capable of starting for some teams in year one Johnson would not be forced to do so for the Steelers. With Haden and Nelson roaming the outside and Hilton and Sutton covering nickel and dime duties, Johnson would compete with Justin Layne to be the top backup at outside cornerback.

Johnson primarily played LCB at Utah, and he would likely backup Joe Haden on that side of the field. Though his impact would not be felt right away like some other players who could be selected at pick 49, he has upside as a long-time NFL starter. He would likely sit behind Haden for two years before becoming a full-time starter for the Steelers.

Pro Comparison: Shaquille Griffin

Though Shaquille Griffin tested out a better at the NFL Combine, Johnson is a good athlete in his own right – earning a 4.50 40-yard dash, 36.5” vertical, 124” broad jump, and 4.13 20-yard shuttle.  It’s not hard to make this comparison between these two players as both are off-man, physical boundary cornerbacks with very simply size profiles.

Griffin had his rough patches with the Seahawks, but graded out as the 10th best cornerback in the league in his third season, according to Pro Football Focus. Johnson is a more pro-ready prospect than Griffin, but a year or two learning the defense is only going to help him develop into a cornerstone player for Pittsburgh’s defense.

Game film:

I still consider it a stretch that the Steelers would spend their first choice in the 2020 NFL Draft on a position that is already established on their team. However, there certainly seemed to be some interest there before the travel bans, and Pittsburgh sent the house to Clemson’s Pro Day – perhaps to get a better look at A.J. Terrell. There is an outside chance they consider Johnson if he falls to pick 49 in the draft.