The Kansas City Chiefs took steps to protect their future cornerback depth by drafting Nohl Williams in the third round this past spring. The team still faces an exodus of snaps, since Nazeeh Johnson, Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams become free agents after this season. Kansas City should invest in cornerback talent in the 2026 NFL draft.
San Diego State Aztecs star Chris Johnson is one of the nation’s best cornerbacks. Through five games, he has a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six, six passes defensed and a forced fumble. Johnson is a versatile corner with experience operating in press coverage in Cover 1, off-man in Cover 0, Cover 3 zone and Cover 2 zone.
Johnson is lean but meets the league’s height and arm length thresholds for an outside corner. When in press, Johnson displays patience to avoid overcommitting during the receiver’s release. Even if he makes a mistake early in the route, his loose hips and recovery speed help him get back in phase.
Johnson drives outside releases into the sideline and makes sudden corrections to mirror receivers who attempt to cross his face. He uses his anticipation and excellent reaction time to mirror receivers at the top of the stem and smother routes at the short to intermediate levels. Johnson’s speed prevents receivers from beating him downfield on fades and posts.
Johnson also excels in zone coverage. He baits quarterbacks into dangerous throws before using his closing burst to undercut passing lanes. He displays a natural awareness of layered route concepts and quickly transitions between depths in his zone.
Johnson triggers to challenge screens and makes some run stops by himself in space. However, his mediocre play strength makes it difficult for him to stack and shed blocks and finish tackles. This physicality concern also shows up at the catch point against larger receivers.
The Chiefs won’t need Johnson to see significant playing time on defense in his rookie season, but that shouldn’t diminish his value to the team. Johnson is a proven special teams contributor who has amassed at least a dozen career tackles covering kicks and punts.
The Aztecs play their next game against the Nevada Wolfpack on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 p.m. CT. No ranked opponents or highly ranked wide receiver prospects remain on San Diego State’s schedule. Their most notable remaining game is against Boise State on Nov. 15.