Buffalo Bills 2018 Position Battle: Starting slot corner

Taron Johnson, Rookie

(5-foot-11, 192 pounds)

Contract: 4-year $3.1 million

Career Notes

Fourth-round pick (No. 121 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Weber State.

Finished college career with 42 pass breakups.

Earned first-team Associated Press All-American in his senior year.

Ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

Analysis

Johnson has the talent to be a nickel corner in the league for a long time. Although he is a bit undersized for a boundary corner, he has the quickness and size you look for as a nickel.

At Weber State, he was “the man” on the defensive side of the ball and was rarely tested. When he was thrown on, he was up for the challenge. He showed the awareness to break on routes and come up with several big plays. He showed the physicality to come up and make a hit, even with his lack of prototypical size.

I believe he is a year or two away from being an NFL-caliber corner. He will have to catch up with the level of the competition, something he rarely saw at Weber State. It was obvious at the Senior Bowl that he struggles with bigger receivers, so the slot may be his best option for a long career.

As a fourth-round selection, he will be looked upon to contribute on special teams at the very least.