Antonio Johnson is the Classic Underachiever

What do you do with a safety like Antonio Johnson who looks the part, flashes elite playing speed, but then lets his foot off the gas too much on game film?

You drop him into the second-round.

This helps mitigate the risk on Texas A&M’s Johnson, who laid an egg on game film in 2022 against Miami and Appalachian State, but looked like a world beater against Arkansas.

He’s got it in him, and guys like this tend to hang on in the league longer than the smell of vinegar after it spills all over the carpet. The issue is they do not help their teams win.

There are other issues too. Granted, he looked better on his 2022 game film, compared to 2021.

Johnson in coverage

If there is one thing Johnson does well, it’s running around.

He showed he can cover in man getting into the flat, down the seam with tight ends, and he can drop into zone.

Johnson lines up over the slot or he can drop deeper into a traditional safety pre-snap look.

Even on a deeper pass down the sideline against Appalachian State, he got over in time to be in position almost to help.

He can shoot in on a blitz too. Granted, he whiffed, which leads us right into the next part of this conversation.

He gets reluctant and he’s not a sure tackler

This is not a headline you ever want to read about a safety, your team is considering.

Johnson loves to end up around the pile or pile it on after his teammates have done the dirty work

He loves to run in and pad his stats once the stop has been all but made. I ran out of room in my notes on all the plays he was out there jogging around, taking it easy or plain bouncing off a ball carrier.

The working football definition of reluctance is a safety who quits on a short touchdown pass play like Johnson did against Appalachian State.

He’s also anything but a sure tackler, which is a pre-requisite for the position since it’s the last line of defense.

This isn’t Johnson, who’s a lightweight hitter. Sometimes he comes in too high, sometimes too low, and at other times he plain overruns it.

Often he looks like he cares more about keeping his jersey clean than he cares about run support.

Workout warrior

Beware of the workout warrior.

These are the guys who excel at running around little orange cones in the pre-draft workouts, but don’t have the game film to back it.

Yes, he has the pure straight-line speed that will cause general managers to daydream. I saw it too – – he flashed it.

However, hitting the gas once in a blue moon as Johnson does, isn’t going to move the meter

#27 Antonio Johnson 6-foot-3, 195 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Draft Grade: Second-Round (I would not select him)

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Bust Probability: Moderate

Projected by 50.5% (same as October 17) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of January 17, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2022 game film reviewed: Miami, Appalachian State, and Arkansas (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Level of competition: Moderate

2021 stats: 79 tackles (53 solo, 26 assists), 5 passes defended, 1 INT, 1 sack

2022 stats: 71 tackles (35 solo, 36 assists), 1 pass defended, 0 INT, 1 sack

NFL Comparable: Tracy Walker III

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Lanky well built athletic safety with flashing straight-line speed and he is more of an after-the-fact defender. Looks the part, but he is capable of a lot more than he shows. Demonstrates he can cover in man and zone, but reluctant and provides inconsistent support. Roams down into the box occasionally. Lacks fight at times. Can close fast on outside screens. Plastered a helpless receiver (Appalachian State). Mediocre blitzing because he hesitates sometimes. Left a lot to be desired in run support. Tends to get involved in the easier stops/assists. Not a dependable wrapping tackler, who takes a raincheck against the run too often. Has the tools, but he will not help build a championship house.

Final words

Thanks, but no thanks.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.