Jaylon Johnson is elevating the Bears' cornerback room
It's safe to say that 2022 was not kind to the Chicago Bears defense. The team struggled on all three levels and it's a big reason why improving the unit was a big focal point during the offseason. Per Football Outsiders, the Bears finished dead-last in overall defensive DVOA, which included the NFL's worst pass […]
It's safe to say that 2022 was not kind to the Chicago Bears defense.
The team struggled on all three levels and it's a big reason why improving the unit was a big focal point during the offseason. Per Football Outsiders, the Bears finished dead-last in overall defensive DVOA, which included the NFL's worst pass defense and third-worst run defense.
The team made plenty of additions that should help turn things around in 2023, but there's one holdover in cornerback Jaylon Johnson that will be key in said turnaround.
Johnson is the Bears' most experienced corner and he's currently their best corner on the roster, as well. Johnson's 39 career starts and 2,458 defensive snaps easily outpace Kindle Vildor's -the second-most experience corner on the roster- 22 starts and 1,487 defensive snaps. As you can see, Johnson's play and production is pivotal to the defense's growth as he enters Year 4 of his young career.
Fortunately, Johnson is developing at the exact pace the Bears need and his coaches are noticing it.
"The one thing that shows up the most is he understands football," Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams told reporters earlier in the week. "He really understands football. So, he sees the big picture and [he has] the ability to not just see the big picture -sometimes when guys do that they they miss some of the details- but he does both."
Johnson is still young – he's not even considered a veteran, yet. So, it's obviously very encouraging to hear he's rounding into a complete player, so to speak.
But as we all know, football isn't an individual sport – it's a team sport. And while having a true No. 1 corner can affect a defense in the best of ways, it still doesn't automatically equate to success. Johnson still needs his teammates to play to the best of their abilities. Especially as the unit continues to grow under Williams and head coach Matt Eberflus.
And the best way to ensure that happens is for Johnson to become a teacher, himself. If he can see "the big picture" like Williams says, then it's crucial he guides his teammates so they can get to that point, themselves. No one is saying Johnson needs to become a player-coach: it's more about simply helping out his teammates.
Well, that's happening, too.
"I don't want to give out specific examples because they were scheme-type of things where we we had a defense on [and] the offense came out there and it showed up in terms of the offensive play – he diagnosed it, he saw it," said Williams. "And there were times when it was his play to make and he made it and other times when he alerted someone else that hey, that was their play to make. So when I say big picture that's kind of what I mean without giving you a specific."
"We've had a lot of talks about different leverages or if I get put in certain situations, [what my] leverage [is] or the way I want to use my switch-ups or my feet," second-year corner Kyler Gordon told reporters. "I talk to him quite a bit about… how to move within the certain defense that we call."
Johnson has yet to attend OTAs, but recently said he'll return as soon as next week for the final round before mandatory mincamp starts on June 13. And while it remains to be seen what the Bears defense actually looks like come September, it's hard not to feel good about the trajectory based off of what Johnson is doing and becoming.
"On the cuff, I would say, yes, a great deal," Williams said when asked if the cornerback room, as a whole, is better this year. "Because we do have talent there. I don't know if you can ever have enough [cornerback] depth, no matter how good you guys are. I do like where we're headed right now and how our young guys are running around, how our guys that we picked up [and] the vets are running around. We'll kind of see kind of what happens with it and really the big test is when you put pads on and how things shake out but I really love where we are right now."
Featured image via Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
