Getty Isaiah Johnson hugging Derek Carr.
When Isaiah Johnson played hero for the Las Vegas Raiders last season against the Los Angeles Chargers, it should’ve been the start of something special. He made two consecutive game-winning pass breakups to beat the AFC West rival in Week 9. Unfortunately, he never built off that momentum and didn’t have a big role with the team.
Injuries made him miss his rookie season and they had also kept him out for most of the Raiders’ offseason programs. With an influx of talent being injected into the team’s secondary, Johnson was on the outside looking in. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the cornerback has been waived as part of Tuesday’s final roster cuts.
Raiders waiving CB Isaiah Johnson. 2019 fourth-round pick did have a big day against Chargers last year, couldn’t win over new defensive staff.
Johnson was always a very intriguing prospect. He’s 6-foot-2 and ran a 4.40 40-yard dash at the Combine. He could’ve become an impact player for the Raiders but injuries were a lingering issue. That said, his upside is still high so he’ll get another chance to prove he can play. There are bound to be some NFL teams that won’t forget his epic performance against the Chargers last year.
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Johnson Should Be Practice Squad Candidate
When Johnson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, head coach Jon Gruden called him “the steal of the draft.” He ended up being vastly outshined by fellow fourth-round picks from that year Maxx Crosby and Foster Moreau. Had he not had so many injury issues, it’s possible that would be talking about him as a major steal but that just hasn’t shown enough to earn that title.
If the Raiders are lucky, he’ll clear waivers and return to the team on the practice squad. The talent is there and that was evident in last year’s Chargers game. He just needs more reps before the team can give him a roster spot. Putting him on the practice squad would give the team some extra depth in case of emergency while giving him a chance to get healthy and continue to learn. If no teams are ready to sign him to their active roster, Las Vegas should certainly bring him back.
Raiders Should Feel Good About Secondary
The fact that the Raiders can afford to lose an intriguing young cornerback like Johnson is a testament to how far the secondary has come. The group could actually be a strength for the defense this year. There will be growing pains as many of the key players are still young but the potential is higher than ever.
Casey Hayward brings the team a very good veteran presence while Trayvon Mullen showed great flashes last year. Trevon Moehrig could be a game-changer at safety and Johnathan Abram should greatly improve in a new system. There are still questions marks due to the group’s youth but defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has done great things with young secondaries before. The Raiders may not have their own “Legion of Boom” but this could be their best secondary in years.
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