PFF Just Handed Jaylon Johnson Tons Of Bulletin Board Material

Jaylon Johnson doesn’t lack motivation going into 2023. It’s the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. That means he is playing for a big payday this season. He must play well if he wants to secure the future for himself and his family. His Chicago Bears are also coming off a rough season, going 3-14. He will want to work towards improving that record. So it’s not like Johnson needed any help when it comes to getting himself mentally prepared for probably the most crucial season of his career.

Yet Pro Football Focus found a way. The prominent website has done rankings for every position group, posting who they believe to be the 32 best in the sport at each one. D.J. Moore earned a respectable 16th spot on the wide receivers list. Justin Fields was 18th among quarterbacks, a considerable jump from where he was following his rookie season. One would imagine Johnson settled in somewhere among the top 15 or 20 cornerbacks, right? Incorrect. Not only did he fail to crack the top 20, but he didn’t even make the list at all.

Jaylon Johnson deserves more respect.

Getting left off the list is bad enough. Seeing guys like Nate Hobbs, Taron Johnson, and Xavien Howard on it while knowing they had worse years than he did makes the blood boil. Johnson only allowed 58.7% of passes completed in his direction last season. He was beaten for a touchdown only once and gave up a respectable 96.8 passer rating. Don’t forget he did all that playing behind the NFL’s worst pass rush. The Bears managed only 20 sacks in 2023. Playing good coverage in such conditions is impossible.

The biggest thing working against Jaylon Johnson is his production. He only has one interception in his career. Like sacks with defensive linemen, people often use that stat as the primary factor in determining whether a cornerback is good. While not entirely fair, it’s an undeniable reality. Johnson himself has acknowledged this. He’s spent the off-season focused on this issue, hoping to finally turn his strong coverage ability into more turnover opportunities. If he succeeds, he may finally get the respect he deserves.