It should not be a surprise that Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson fell out of the top ten cornerback rankings. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN polled executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the best players at every position. Johnson had been a regular in the top ten on the list in recent years.
However, a recent downtrend in play has fans wondering if he can get back into the top ten again next year.
"Time on task has been an issue. He missed a lot of camp and game action. But he's young (27), so he should be able to get back to his top form. He's got juice when he's full tilt."NFL personnel evaluator
Chicago Bears Need Jaylon Johnson to Get Back to Top 10 Play
Johnson was viewed as a good, not great, cornerback through his first three NFL seasons. Then, things changed during the 2023 season. Johnson recorded four interceptions and 10 passes defended. He made the Pro Bowl and was named second-team All-Pro.
Johnson came in eighth in the voting after his 2023 season. He was viewed as a riser, but a potential one-year wonder.
Johnson was better in 2024 than he was in his first three seasons. However, he was not nearly as good as he was in 2023. Johnson dropped to two interceptions and eight passes defended. He also allowed a few more catches and yards.
He still made a Pro Bowl, but was no longer an All-Pro nominee. So, Johnson came in eighth in the poll once again. However, the 2025 season was enough for a drop. The big issue is that he only played in six games. Availability matters in rankings like this. Even if voters still believe Johnson is a top-tier cornerback, it is difficult to rank a player highly after such a limited sample size. Beyond that, he was out of the discussion for much of the year while other players were able to step up.
If Johnson were healthy, he might have been listed even higher. He was amongst the four players listed as honorable mention. So, Kamari Lassister, Joey Porter Jr, A.J. Terrell, and Johnson make up a group of players from 11th to 14th in the rankings.
This shows it would not take much for him to get back into the top ten. If Johnson can stay healthy and continue to have ball production, the league is going to remember him.
The other thought is that Johnson is now two years removed from his All-Pro season. He could still be good in 2026, but he is not going to have nearly the same amount of success. Bears fans are hoping this is not the beginning of the end of Johnson appearing on lists like this.
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