Antonio Johnson NFL Draft Scouting Report

SAF, Texas A&M Aggies

A wide receiver and defensive back in high school, Antonio Johnson became a two-year starter for the Texas A&M defense and was among the most impactful defenders in the SEC. Johnson missed three games in 2022 due to injury but otherwise started every game for the Aggies in 2021 and 2022 while making one start as a freshman in 2020.

Johnson is an instinctive defender that plays a physical brand of football and lines up all over the field. Texas A&M aligns Johnson as a slot corner, split zone safety, and even occasionally as a linebacker and he shows comfort in each of those roles. Johnson is a sharp processor that stays leveraged and has a rapid downhill trigger. He is aggressive in pursuit and physical when playing through contact. Johnson is an outstanding tackler that embraces the fundamentals of arriving balanced, wrapping, and bringing his feet through. Johnson doesn’t concede yards after contact and he’s a tone-setter for the Aggies’ defense. Johnson showcases a natural feel for zone coverage where he naturally gets to his landmarks and diagnoses route combinations, frequently capping routes and showcasing the ability to adjust on the fly. He has some situational appeal in man coverage against tight ends and bigger slot receivers. While his ball skills have room to grow, Johnson has shown the ability to play through the hands of the receiver when driving forward on the football.

When it comes to concerns, Johnson has yet to showcase himself well in terms of making plays on the football with any consistency. While he flashes the ability to disrupt at the catch point when driving forward, his awareness of the football is lacking with his back to the line of scrimmage and he’s missed chances to make plays on the ball down the field. Johnson is a bit of a high-cut athlete so his transitions and change-of-direction skills have some segmentation to them. His versatility is a major asset for Texas A&M, but will the NFL embrace a slot corner/safety role for him? Does he have a true position?

Johnson’s ability to cover, tackle and play the run from a variety of alignments makes him an intriguing prospect that has the makings of a quality starter at the next level. 

Top Reasons to Buy In:

• Size and versatility
• Processing skills
• Physicality and tackling ability 

Top Reasons For Concern:

• High hips lead to challenges when transitioning and breaking down
• Ball skills
• Does he have a true position?

Size (NFL Combine):

Height: 6′ 2”

Weight: 198 lbs

Arm Length: 32 1/8”

Hand Size: 9 3/4”

Athletic Testing (NFL Combine):

40-yard Dash: 4.52s

Vertical Jump: 31”

Broad Jump: 9′ 10”

Short-Shuttle: TBD

Three-Cone: TBD

Bench Reps: 8 reps 

Ideal Role: Slot safety 

Scheme Fit: Zone coverage 

Prospect Comparison: Will Harris (2019 NFL Draft) 

TDN Consensus Grade: 79.50/100 (Third-Round Value)

• Marino Grade: 79.50/100

Written By: Joe Marino

Exposures: Alabama (2021), Arkansas (2021), Colorado (2021), Alabama (2022), Arkansas (2022), Auburn (2022)

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