2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Anthony Johnson (CB – Virginia)

As the NFL season winds down, FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL draft scouting reports before the combine in March. Here’s a look at Anthony Johnson.

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2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Anthony Johnson (CB – Virginia)

Anthony Johnson (CB – Virginia)

6’2″ – 205 lbs.

Background:

Three-star recruit who originally attended Louisville, where he spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career. Started two of seven games played in 2018, allowing 11/21 passing when targeted, with one touchdown, one interception, and four breakups (1-1-4). Started three of twelve games the following year, allowing 34/51 passing (4 TD, 1 INT, 2 PD). Played sparingly in 2020, then transferred to Virginia. Allowed 24/51 passing (3 TD, 3 INT, 6 PD) in his first year as a starter, then 31/60 passing (0 TD, 2 INT, 9 PD) this past year.

Positives:

Two-plus year starter who made his final season by far his best. Big cornerback who should easily meet any team’s size requirements. Good pre-snap communicator. Knows how to use his length to get physical with opponents at the line of scrimmage and disrupt timing-based throws when working in press-man. Handles outside releases well, pinning opponents to the sideline when working on the boundary. Gets his hands on opponents and feels routes developing. Does a nice job of locating the football, and made a lot of plays this past year, combining impressive length and sound technique to go for the breakup. Patient diagnostician from zone coverage, with good overall awareness. Gets depth to keep the play in front of him, with pretty clean transitions to make quick tackles and limit yards after the catch. Flows well to the ball in the run game. Gets good extension to play off blocks and attacks them with aggressiveness. Willing tackler whose length gives him a wide radius.

Negatives:

Spent five years in school, so he’s slightly overaged. Plays with a high center of gravity. A smooth mover, but not a particularly fast or explosive one. Doesn’t have the twitchiest game, and may struggle against quicker receivers. Physical brand of coverage has made him somewhat penalty-prone, with twenty-one career flags, including nine in 2021. Has improved at Virginia, but tackling was an issue at Louisville, especially in 2019. Experience has come almost exclusively on the boundary (almost no safety/slot snaps).

Summary:
A smart, physical cornerback with excellent size and length, but who appears to have average athleticism. Played a lot of press-man and zone coverage at Virginia, and would probably fit best in such a role at the next level as well, potentially as a matchup-based cornerback who could be assigned to bigger, more physical receivers. Plays with the sort of polish and intelligence you’d expect from a fifth-year senior, which should endear him to pro coaches, and could conceivably get a look as a safety as well.

Projection: Round 4