2023 7th Round Pick #242 S Anthony Johnson Jr.

[Joemailman]

S
Anthony Johnson Jr.
6'0"
205 lbs
Iowa State

Pre-Draft Analysis
Johnson is at his best matching up with tight ends and driving on underneath routes. He had two picks in 54 starts, so he's not a ball hawk, but both picks came after he moved from corner to safety last year. Johnson steps up, squares to the ball carrier and wraps up when filling in on run support. -- Steve Muench


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2l6-x2SMao

[King Friday]

This feels like Gute taking a guy so he doesn’t have to answer specific questions about what positions he ignored in the draft. At least he’ll probably have use on special teams if he makes the roster.

That highlight package was about as lame as I’ve seen for a guy who was actually drafted into the NFL. He has more screen time doing warmups than actual play between the lines.

[Joemailman]

This feels like Gute taking a guy so he doesn’t have to answer specific questions about what positions he ignored in the draft. At least he’ll probably have use on special teams if he makes the roster.

That highlight package was about as lame as I’ve seen for a guy who was actually drafted into the NFL. He has more screen time doing warmups than actual play between the lines.

He's a project. Played just 1 year at safety after being converted from CB.

[NewsBruin]

S Anthony Johnson Jr.
6'0" 205 lbs Iowa State

Pre-Draft Analysis
Johnson is at his best matching up with tight ends and driving on underneath routes. He had two picks in 54 starts, so he's not a ball hawk, but both picks came after he moved from corner to safety last year. Johnson steps up, squares to the ball carrier and wraps up when filling in on run support. -- Steve Muench

That sounds so weird to be a converted cornerback whose best skills are matching up with TEs.

[HarveyWallbangers]

This guy had a lot of support in the scouting community. He was the consensus #14 S and had a lot of 5th/6th round grades. I wasn't that high on him (had a 7th round grade on him), but he's certainly one of the more athletic safeties in this class. He just moved to safety this year, so maybe the Packers see possible growth in his game.

[run pMc]

I guess he's a really good guy and a very good athlete and they need safeties, but I couldn't find much on him.
Watched ISU vs. TX. He can play ST and if you need a body to play a deep zone he's ok, but he's not particularly physical or instinctive.
It's a R7 flier on a guy who might pan out as a backup with coaching.

[run pMc]

So I've heard several of these sports analysts and media types raving about this kid, saying he could be starting for GB this year. I'll have to go back and find some more ISU film, but he was apparently rated much higher than where he was drafted. I think PFF had him at #90 overall on their board.

[Jaire]

Who else do we have to start?


..... we have 3 first rounders in the secondary. DC has no excuses.

[run pMc]

I think Savage and Rudy Ford are likely penciled in as the starters as of today.
It's likely by week 8 a different pair of safeties are starting.

This team isn't a starting safety away from the Super Bowl, most of these guys are at least as good as MD Jennings, I'm going to try not to worry about it.

[texaspackerbacker]

I still think or at least hope we retain Adrian Amos.

This Johnson guy seems like he might be a prospect for Slot Corner or maybe a sixth DB in passing situations - lining up to cover the TE. He's supposed to be a sure tackler and run stopper, so if he's subbing in for a LB, that's what you want.

[Fritz]

My guess is that if Amos isn't signed before the Packers work out Rashan Gary's extension, they'll re-sign Amos (Hell, they're already paying him in dead money anyway) and make-do with the hodge podge they've got at that position. Then in next year's draft, they'll draft a couple of safeties and try to really re-work that position.

We'll see what this Johnson kid can do. I'm hoping he'll be a pleasant surprise, and not another Shemale Jean Claude Van Damme.

[texaspackerbacker]

Does anybody know for sure how it would work if Amos is re-signed? Counted double against the cap OR the dead money overlapping with the amount he is paid?

[run pMc]

Amos would count double, since the void years already hit, and he'd be back on a new contract.
Wouldn't be shocked if they go into OTA or even camp and let the current crop of safeties fight it out and wait until then to bring him back if he hasn't signed and the rest are trash.

If you aren't signed with a team a week after the draft there's probably a reason.

[Fritz]

True. Green Bay can't be the only NFL team that could use some safety help. The fact that no one's signed him yet means he really is seen as a stop-gap.

But Green Bay needs a stop gap. Maybe Amos is waiting because he's hoping an aspiring, for-real Super Bowl contender will show an interest in him.

[RashanGary]

Amos had such a weird career. He was good for the Bears, but they didn’t really want to keep him. He was good for the Packers and now they don’t really want to keep him.

He’s stubborn, opinionated and stirs the pot on Twitter. I wonder if he’s not the greatest lockerroom guy??

His quality of play is similar to a Mark Tauscher or John Kuhn. He’s a good starter. You’d think one of the teams he played for would have wanted to keep him around.

[Joemailman]

No doubt Amos declined last year. The question is whether his skills declined that much or whether he got caught up in a bad situation where the defensive coordinator and passing game coordinator (Gray) were not seeing eye to eye. I'll be interested to see what things look like with Greg Williams replacing Gray. Williams comes from the coaching tree that includes Vance Joseph.

It's a great situation for a young guy like Anthony Johnson to come into. The opportunity is there with no entrenched starters at the safety position.

[run pMc]

Amos was a good player for GB and good in the locker room. His teammates liked him. He declined noticeably last year though -- he was never a speedster but it was starting to look like he couldn't run anymore.
At a minimum he can probably get everyone lined up, but I don't know if he's worth the contract he wants (he can probably get more elsewhere).

As for the rostered safeties, it is a wide-open competition and should be one of the better ones to watch. (OL, S, and WR) Someone will likely emerge and surprise, it could be this ISU kid and the guy from SF starting by week 5.

[smuggler]

I think the Bears were just stupid for letting him go. This time around, I think the guy is just slowing down with age. Nothing against him, at all. Everyone ages out eventually.

[Joemailman]

Andy Herman
@AndyHermanNFL

Finally getting around to the Anthony Johnson deep dive. I absolutely cannot believe Green Bay got this guy in the 7th round. In fact my biggest issue with the Packers’ draft might be that they risked waiting until the late 7th to take him.

Drink the Kool-Aid!

[run pMc]

https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/green-bay-packers-draft/2023/6/6/23750845/packers-rookie-preview-anthony-johnson-jr-iowa-state-2023-nfl-draft-adrian-amos

A little undersized, slow to read his keys sometimes, and might see the play through a straw. The latter two are similar issues IMO and he will likely get better at them as he gets used to being a safety instead of a CB. I think there are pass coverage skills and it sounds like he's a great locker room guy. Probably cuts his teeth on ST while he refines his play-diagnosis. Not bad for a R7 pick.

[Fritz]

Kool-Aid should do a commercial about football fans drinking the Kool-Aid this time of year. I doubt many people even remember where that expression originated, so it’d work.

[texaspackerbacker]

Do YOU remember? I think it was James (or Jim) Jones - and NOT the former Packer. His fans really drank the Kool-Aid.

[run pMc]

Kool-Aid should do a commercial about football fans drinking the Kool-Aid this time of year. I doubt many people even remember where that expression originated, so it’d work.

True. I think it's slow until training camp in late July, so people will grab onto any news. I think he sticks on the PS at a minimum, probably based on being a R7 pick and ST play to start with upside to develop into more.
Hard to say the safety room looks like much beyond Savage and a bunch of replacement level players.

[Fritz]

True. I think it's slow until training camp in late July, so people will grab onto any news. I think he sticks on the PS at a minimum, probably based on being a R7 pick and ST play to start with upside to develop into more.
Hard to say the safety room looks like much beyond Savage and a bunch of replacement level players.

Yeah, you've gotta think that the upstairs guys are basically conceding this year - see how Savage does, see who shakes out in the pile of other bodies they have at safety, then draft a couple next year (unless miraculously one of the bodies they already have pans out as a true NFL starter).

And yes, Tex, it was Jim Jones, and it was grape koolaid. A sorry situation.