Eye on the Draft: Why Wake Forest CB Kevin Johnson could be a Patriot

(James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)
With the departures of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, the Patriots secondary has some big shoes to fill. Despite the additions of Bradley Fletcher and Robert McClain, the secondary could use an influx of young talent in the draft. Even with young players like Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler, adding another CB to the mix will likely bring out the best of each guy back there. One of the top CBs that I have been asked to look at is Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson.

Kevin Johnson is an amazing athlete. He has good size for his position. His highlight reel is a thing of beauty and wonder. For the life of me though, I could not fall in love with him. Johnson will be a good NFL player, no doubt. His skill set will fit in well with a team that loves quick twitch CBs that will play more of a zone coverage scheme.

Measurables:
Height: 6'
Weight: 188 lbs
Arm Length: 31”
Hand Size: 8 3/8"

Combine Results:
4.52 40 Yard Dash
41.5" Vertical
130" Broad Jump
6.79 3 Cone Drill - 2nd at the combine for CBs
3.89 20 Yard Shuttle
12.19 60 Yard Shuttle

College Stats:
Four years: 189 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 7 interceptions, 38 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, 0.5 sacks
*Ruled academically ineligible his sophomore year, causing him to redshirt

Professional Comparison:
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - Both are thin framed, quick CBs that have been using their three faceted athleticism (speed, acceleration, quickness) to provide good coverage. Both can be a bit touchy at times and tempt penalties from the officials. Neither are great in run support and will more often than not get taken out of plays by blockers.

Strengths: 
Quick twitch corner. Great combination of speed, acceleration, and quickness. Not afraid to lay down the wood when the opportunity presents itself. Will rarely get beat deep. Great change of direction ability. Natural hip turns and swivels. Fiery guy who will hype up his teammates. Fantastic backpedal footwork. Rarely crosses his feet. Technique before contact is great. Occasionally guesses right and will make a huge play.

At 2:50-3:01 - Does a great job planting and coming down on receiver to break up the pass.
At 3:34-4:00 - Another example of his quickness and agility to break and come down on pass.



Weaknesses: 
Will get completely taken out of plays by blockers. Will get flagged more than Brandon Browner for holding and PI at the NFL level after last year's rule changes. Flagged 9 times for 132 yards in the last two years. Very handsy with receivers. Looks for the big plays instead of sticking with his assignment. Out of position in run game constantly. Tries to bait throws by QBs by playing soft. Lunges when he tackles instead of breaking down and form tackling. Awful tackler. Once he is blocked he rarely makes a play. Too much fear of deep routes leaves him susceptible to comebacks and curls.

At 0:32-0:38 - Doesn't take on the block properly, likely ends up on the sideline.
At 1:40-2:07 - This will be called pass interference every time in the NFL.
At 6:04-6:29 - You cannot do this. You get thrown out of games for less. Shows lack of maturity.
At 6:54-7:54 - This will be a 15 yard penalty every time.



Projections:
Mid 1st to early 2nd round. Teams will love his numbers and his athleticism. He is currently in talks of being the third best CB in the draft right now, so some team will likely jump on him as soon as Peters and Waynes are gone. My guess is the Steelers or Ravens could be two teams that would draft him, or if he slips past that, to the Packers.

Some people like him too much.


Others have a bit more realistic view of him.


Will the Patriots draft him?
I hope not. I know his hype is building by the day, and his athleticism warrants that, but when it comes down to it, he just simply isn't a Patriot. He will be a good player, but his penalty issue and one dimensional play scare me away from him in the first. I would much rather have a player like Ifo Ekpre-Olomu in the 2nd or 3rd round than having Kevin Johnson in the 1st. More than likely, the Patriots won't even have a chance to draft him with the way some teams have been talking about him.

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