New England Patriots Possible Target in the 2015 NFL Draft – Kevin Johnson, CB Wake Forest
 CB Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest is one of the premiere cornerbacks of the 2015 NFL Draft. (USA TODAY Images) |
As the 2015 NFL Draft draws closer we’ll profile some of the players that may be on the Patriots radar. Some of these players have already been linked to New England as possible targets others, we feel would be a great fit.
Check out our earlier 2015 NFL Draft profiles on PatsFans.com:
DE/OLB Nate Orchard from Utah
WR Tyrell Williams from Western Oregon
DT Jordan Phillips from Oklahoma
DT Carl Davis from Iowa
RB David Johnson from Northern Iowa
CB Steven Nelson from Oregon State
OLB Zack Hodges from Harvard
CB Ronald Darby from FSU
WR Devin Funchess from Michigan
OG A.J. Cann from South Carolina
RB Mike Davis from South Carolina
ILB Benadrick McKinney from Mississippi State
OLB Hau’oli Kikaha from Washington
T Jeremiah Poutasi from Utah
OLB Kyle Emanuel from North Dakota State
RB Jay Ajayi from Boise State
WR Jamison Crowder from Duke
The Patriots lost corners Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner during free agency and while they’ve brought in some veteran players and have depth, there is still the lack, at least initially of a true #1 cornerback.
While there is no replacing a player the caliber of Revis, the team has moved on and is looking to beef up the position as well as the front seven of the defense and the pass rush to buffer the loss.
The saver of the Super Bowl Malcolm Butler, Alfonzo Dennard, Logan Ryan, Kyle Arrington, Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain, Chimdi Chekwa will all vie for playing time and will be given the opportunity to grab starting reps. But we still expect the team to address the cornerback position in the first round or two.
Kevin Johnson from Wake Forest is a fifth-year senior who is talented, if somewhat under the radar cornerback who has been very productive for the Demon Deacons. Johnson has the long frame (6’0, 188), NFL coaches are looking for but is a little on the lean side and could use a bit more weight at the next level. He has the height, speed and agility to be a very good cornerback in the NFL.
Johnson has very quick feet and his ability to change direction, square up on an opponent and shadow him downfield makes him a natural man coverage corner. He’s very good at disrupting routes and slowing receivers off the line in press man. Has a low, smooth back pedal and while his listed speed is good at 4.52, he seems to play faster and shows a nice recovery burst while the ball is in the air.
Johnson can be over-aggressive at times and burned by the double move and got flagged often downfield (9 penalties the last two seasons). His lack of bulk shows in run support as he’s only so-so although very willing in coming up to stop the run.
Pros:
- Very good length and hand-eye coordination, excellent in jump ball situations
- Excellent agility, can turn and run, change direction easily
- Has nice closing burst and can react well with the ball in the air
Cons:
- Lean for the position in the NFL, needs to add weight, strength
- Sometimes gives too big a cushion downfield, susceptible to the cut-back
- Draws a lot of downfield penalty flags
Where can the Patriots can get him?: There are many mock drafts that have Johnson going in the Rounds 1-2, where I’d think he’d be an attractive option for the Patriots.
While he bulked up a bit for the NFL Combine to 188, it seemed to hurt his straight line speed, running a 4.52 in the 40 where Johnson had said he hoped to run in the 4.4 range. But his agility didn’t seem to suffer as he ran a very good 6.79 time (4th among CBs at the Combine), in the Three-Cone Drill. The three-cone drill is something Bill Belichick and the Patriots have always coveted more than straight line speed.
Watching Johnson on tape the thing that stands out is his ability to play press man coverage which is very good. He’s aggressive and can disrupt and slow receivers off the line. When playing off, he seems to give a bit too much cushion, allowing receivers to catch the ball underneath. That is something that can change easily with coaching at the next level.
Johnson can play either man coverage or zone and has the quick reaction and agility to handle anything thrown at him. In his last three seasons at Wake Forest Johnson had seven picks and 33 passes defensed. Teams stayed away from him in his senior year which is why after back-to-back seasons of three interceptions, he had only one in his senior season. He also has the added ability to play gunner on special teams.
Something to keep in mind, Johnson is something of a late bloomer, he arrived in college as a 155 pound corner who has added some weight and muscle every year while with WF. He’s a polished, athletic corner who is smooth and never seems far out of position. His reactionary skills and his change of direction make him a very attractive target for the Patriots in this season’s draft.
Here is a highlight film compilation of Johnson at Wake Forest:
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