FantasyPros will be taking a look at early NFL Draft scouting reports before the Combine in February. Here’s a look at San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.
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2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson (CB – San Diego State)
6’0″ – 195 lbs.
Background
Three- or four-star recruit who played very sparingly in 2022 before rotating into the defense pretty heavily the following year, ending up with 30 tackles, one breakup, and one interception. Took over a starting role in 2024 and posted 67 tackles, four breakups, a pick, and three forced fumbles, then finished his collegiate career with 49 tackles, nine breakups, and four touchdowns (two pick-sixes) in 2025.
Positives
Two-year starter and three-year contributor with a very nice trajectory and the build of an outside corner. Comes from a scheme which was relatively demanding from a technical standpoint. Played press-man, bail, off-man, and zone on a regular basis, with more backpedaling than usual; of those, press-man seemed to be the most common. Has nice balance and clean footwork in his backpedal, with snappy transitions to driving on a spot. Shows good patience and avoids opening his hips too soon; temperamentally appears to leans conservative, in a good way, and rarely takes big risks or guesses wrong. Maintains good sight lines when playing off/zone coverage, and can recognize and undercut routes. Ball hawk who does a good job of locating the football and using his length to make plays, with soft hands. Has shown himself to be dangerous with the ball in his hands, averaging nearly forty yards per interception return, with two touchdowns on six picks. Willing run supporter who diagnoses quickly and shows solid closing burst and reliable wrap tackling fundamentals. Attacks blocks with aggression, and can also slip them with pretty good lateral quickness. Has a knack for opportunistically forcing fumbles.
Negatives
Good but not great athlete from the standpoint of raw speed/agility. Not the twitchiest or most anticipatory corner in the class, and can sometimes appear a tick late to react; it’s nothing major, but can create short windows for timing-based throws. Struggles a bit at times to stick with shorter, quicker receivers through the route stem. Can be reliant on his lower body when working in man, and would have more success at the stem if he used his hands more consistently to feel routes and stay connected, as there tends to be a bit of drift at the stems.
Summary
One of the most polished cornerbacks in the class from a mental and technical standpoint, he is well-built for the outside and shows the ability to play different techniques, with good patience, route recognition, ball skills, and tackling. He may not be quite as athletic or twitchy as some of the top cornerbacks in the class, but is a good enough athlete to match up against most receivers, and has the look of a future starter, whether at corner or safety. Could easily be a first-round pick, especially with a strong pre-draft process, and it’s hard to imagine him falling out of the first two rounds.
Projection: Round 1-2
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