East St. Louis native Antonio Johnson selected in the 5th round of the NFL draft

Garen Vartanian
·3 min read

East St. Louis High School graduate Antonio Johnson is off to the NFL.

Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 198 pound defensive back, was selected 26th in the 5th round — 160th overall — by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday afternoon in the NFL draft.

Johnson, a 2020 East St. Louis graduate, played his collegiate football at Texas A&M where, as a junior, he posted 71 tackles (35 solo, 36 assists), according to sportsreference.com. Johnson declared for the draft Dec. 14.

According to AggiesWire, “The general consensus is that the Texas A&M safety will land somewhere in the second round, with his best-projected rank coming at No. 22 overall in the first round.”

Lance Zierlein, an NFL analyst for NFL.com, provided this overview of Johnson’s: “Big, athletic safety with versatility to line up over the slot or inside the box for additional run support. Johnson has a strong passion for sticking his nose into whatever is going on near the line of scrimmage. He’s constantly flowing downhill to meet the play as close to the line of scrimmage as possible, but he needs to regulate his pace and angles to prevent overflowing and poor tackle balance. Johnson can be overmatched at the top of the route by top-end receivers, but he’s capable of staying with pass-catching tight ends or a receiver with average speed. Johnson is positioned to become a good starter whose best ball will be played near the line of scrimmage.”

According to BleacherReport.com, here are Johnson’s strengths, “Excellent length and size with versatility to play multiple positions in the defensive secondary; physical player who takes on blocks with his hands and throws body around when tackling; above average breaking with good ball skills.

Meanwhile, NFLDraftbuzz.com listed these strengths for Johnson:

  • Has the change-of-direction ability to mirror underneath but did solid work out of the press and off coverage.

  • Has excellent ball skills, tracking the ball effectively and instinctively taking the right route to break up the play. Johnson has the strong hands and coordination to come down with interceptions.

  • Very smart player who is a student of the game. Knows what to look for in coverage and could be a coach on the field

  • Can play in the box (more than 25% of his snaps) and is a tough reliable tackler who knows how to wrap up

  • Tracks the ball well downfield and has the innate feel for high-point passes. He’s willing to come up and fill against the run and seems to take pride in delivering violent hits in run support.

  • Exceptionally quick for his size (6-3), with the feet and fluidity to mirror underneath, including in the slot against the two-way go. Johnson stays low in his backpedal and explodes toward the ball, with an outstanding closing burst.

  • He’s a willing and capable hitter in run support and closes fast to make plays against quick screens.

  • Can track the ball downfield and gets his head around when playing in a trail position, and Johnson shows excellent ball skills when breaking on a route. He’s a plus tackler in run support as well.

  • Quicker than he is fast but has a burst to close in zone coverage and plays physical at the line in man.

East St. Louis Antonio Johnson (2) knocks down the pass intended for Hoffman Estates Daivon Mclin during Saturday’s game at East St. Louis High School.
East St. Louis Antonio Johnson (2) knocks down the pass intended for Hoffman Estates Daivon Mclin during Saturday’s game at East St. Louis High School.