Raiders schedule a pre-draft visit with an elite 2026 prospect who would throw a wrench in so many plans
The Las Vegas Raiders need more cornerbacks on the roster, and especially more CBs that are good. Chris Johnson is very good, but taking him at pick 36 would be questionable.
Every team has until April 15 to wrap up all their official top-30 visits for the 2026 NFL Draft. On Saturday, the Raiders scheduled another top 30, but this time it’s with an elite player at a position that wouldn’t make much sense for them to take at pick No. 36. Well, at least based on what we have all been assuming.
According to Tony Pauline, the Raiders have a top 30 visit with San Diego State CB Chris Johnson.
The Raiders have their needs all sorted out, and I’m sure they have an idea of where they will target each one. Of course, that all depends on who’s available and how the board falls. When you do a “horizontal big board,” separating the needs by where they should be targeted, then CB is not in that second-round range.
Vegas feels they like what they have with Eric Stokes at CB1 and signs him to a three-year deal. They drafted Darien Porter in the third round last season, and so he will likely get the chance to be CB2. They just traded for slot CB Taron Johnson, so there’s not much room to start there, either. It wouldn’t make much sense to draft a CB at 36, just for him to potentially not play much in 2026. So, that would change some presumed plans quite a bit.
The ideal target position to take a cornerback in this draft seems to be Rounds 3-5. This class has some really good prospects who need some development in Year 1, but would be more than ready to go in Year 2. In this range, you could get players like Will Lee, Deionte Scott, Malik Muhammad, Chandler Rivers, Daylen Everette, and a handful more.
Who is San Diego State CB Chris Johnson?
Some may hear the school and think he can’t possibly be elite if he played there. It is a small school that just doesn’t produce many NFL players. But Johnson is my CB3 in this draft, behind Mansoor Delane and Jermod McCoy.
Johnson is one of the more fluid cornerbacks you will see in this draft. He’s got great press coverage instincts and knows when to trigger on routes. Johnson’s also got exceptional eyes and IQ when in coverage. He uses that to his advantage in two ways: reading the QB and tracking the ball, but also sticking with his man. When he was targeted in 2025, opponents completed just 41.9% of throws. Johnson had 13 passes defended, four interceptions, and allowed zero touchdowns.
Johnson also has a few negatives, such as the competition he faced in college. But he’s on the smaller side in terms of his frame. To be that small, you need to be blazing fast. He’s fast, but not as fast as you’d think. He can be out-physically challenged by bigger receivers. Even with those flaws, Johnson seems like a CB who could be gone before pick No. 36.
