Seahawks' undrafted wide receiver free agent is creating buzz around the league
Wide receiver C.J. Johnson is creating a buzz as a guy that can make the Seahawks’ final roster.
Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard believes that out of the cast of undrafted free agents to make the final Seattle Seahawks' roster, Chris Stoll has the best chance to earn his way into the league.
However, not far behind is C.J. Johnson, East Carolina wide receiver, whom Huard explained on Thursday’s Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports, has the skill to be a good NFL pass catcher in the future.
“His tape is probably the most explosive and the most intriguing that you look at and go, ‘Gee, that looks like an NFL kind of dude’ because he plays pretty darn fast. But unfortunately for him, a little bit like (Seahawks seventh-round running back) Kenny McIntosh, a little bit where you run that kind of time, you’re just not going to (get drafted as expected),” Huard said.
Working in Johnson's favor is that Seattle brought in his college quarterback at East Carolina, Holton Ahlers. The familiarity between the two could bolster Johnson's production throughout summer workouts and during training camp.
Draft analysts thought Johnson would get drafted this year, including NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who had a sixth-round grade on the ECU product.
It didn't pan out that way for Johnson. And much of his slide in the draft is attributed to his 40-yard dash time, which was reportedly around 4.6 seconds. But that time doesn't encapsulate what the receiver brings to the table. His game tape pops. And as an undrafted free agent, Seattle is taking a low risk on a player with NFL-level potential.
Johnson had over 900 yards as a freshman in 2019 and capped off his college career with 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022.
The talent may be there, but it is evidently an uphill battle for Johnson to make it to the league. Still, if he pans out, he may make the Seahawks look like one of the smartest franchises in the league.
