Getty Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. with the Houston Texans.
The Kansas City Chiefs should have a few intense training camp battles this August and one will be at cornerback.
There are currently 18 defensive backs on this roster and at least 12 or 13 of them could be considered cornerbacks. Simply put, this is going to be an all-out war for somewhere around 10 roster spots at CB and safety combined.
One interesting name that was added to the list this offseason was newcomer Lonnie Johnson Jr., a trade acquisition from the Houston Texans — and he let all of Chiefs Kingdom know that he’s coming for one of those roster spots this summer.
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Johnson Says He’s ‘in a Different Mode’
In the midst of a busy July 15 franchise tag deadline, Johnson tweeted out a hype video that put the entire NFL on notice.
Getting traded put me in a different mode with that being said
IM COMING FOR MY SH*T
“Getting traded put me in a different mode,” he voiced, “with that being said I’M COMING FOR MY S***”
It was a powerful statement from someone who finds themselves on the bubble, but Johnson’s road to the roster may be a bit more simple than it appears. The Athletic’s Nate Taylor broke down the situation at cornerback during a recent 53-man roster projection.
The Chiefs want to start [Trent] McDuffie’s career on the perimeter, a role that could help him learn and adjust to the speed of the NFL faster than having him rotate at times as the nickel cornerback. [L’Jarius] Sneed appears to have that role for this season with [Rashad] Fenton likely staying on the perimeter… [Chris] Lammons re-signed with the Chiefs last month and is expected to once again be a special team ace. Johnson will enter camp in a competition with Deandre Baker, a younger player who is now more than a year away from returning from his broken left femur. [Joshua] Williams is talented enough to be a contributor on special teams while being a developmental defender throughout his rookie season.
To sum Taylor up, he predicted that six cornerbacks would remain when all is said and done — plus four safeties. His selections were McDuffie, Fenton, Sneed, Williams, Lammons and Johnson, but the latter looks to be in a direct mano a mano with Baker.
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2019 Draft Busts Set to Go Head-to-Head
At least in their initial locations, Johnson and Baker were both considered draft busts as top-54 selections that didn’t last more than two or three seasons with their first NFL franchise.
The former New York Giants first-rounder has had his fair share of trouble on and off the field since entering the league but Baker seems to have cleaned up his act since heading to Kansas City. He’s coming off a decent first year under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and has experience within this system.
Johnson’s best campaign came in 2020 with a 69.1 coverage grade on Pro Football Focus. His other two seasons were atrocious at 31.7 and 33.3. He’ll need to show more consistency if he’s going to beat out Baker.
Having said that, both were drafted in the first two rounds for a reason. The talent is there and Spagnuolo hopes to turn at least one of these two failed prospects into a redemption story that can reboot their career as a Chief.
One area Johnson holds the clear edge over Baker is on special teams with steady marks in the 60s, and that could be the reason Taylor ended up giving him the nod in his roster projection.