Chicago Bears: Blunt, unfiltered grades for 2020 NFL Draft picks
By Ryan Heckman
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson, Utah
Pace’s best pick of the draft, by far, was at no. 50 overall with cornerback Jaylon Johnson out of Utah. He not only drafted for need, but you could argue Johnson was the best player available. That’s the kind of pick you like to see.
A 6-foot corner with tremendous strength, Johnson has a bullying style. He makes it extremely difficult for receivers to even get off the line comfortably to begin with. Then, downfield, he continues to pester them. He’s incredibly sticky with his coverage.
The Bears had a big need at cornerback, and Johnson fell right in their lap. Now, opposite of Kyle Fuller, you can plug and play Johnson as their second starter. No longer do we have to worry about Tre Roberson, Kevin Toliver and Artie Burns competing for a starting job. They all slot in as depth now.
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Johnson slipped a little bit due to shoulder procedures, but he is completely healthy at this point. He told Bears media he feels great and is 100 percent, which is a positive. Outside of his shoulder procedures, Johnson very well could have been a top-20 pick.
Look, this was a great pick. It may have looked even better had Pace traded back with his 43rd selection in addition to selecting Johnson, but we’ve already covered that. Not taking anything else other than this selection alone into consideration, it was a home run.