Trumaine Johnson Profile
Position: CB/S
College: Montana
Height, Weight: 6’2″, 204 lbs.
40 time: 4.61
Projected Round: 1
Positives: Above average size. Big and strong corner. Long frame with long arms ideal for jamming receivers at the line. Hard hitter and very strong tackler that doesn’t shy away from contact. Tough, agressive, and physical. Strong corner that fights through blocks, in pursuit of the ball carrier. Closes to the ball hard and fast on underneath routes. Good instincts. Reads receivers’ breaks well. Plays faster than a 4.61 40 time. Good athleticism and leaping ability. Shows great closing speed and recovery speed if he gets beat. Dominant ball skills. Closes on the ball like a ball hawking safety. High points the ball. Uses long frame to box out receiver and positions himself to make a play on the ball. Has the hands of a former receiver, and playmaking ability after the catch. Tough to complete passes on in the red zone. Routinely took away the opposing teams best receiver. Can rush off the edge. Closes to the quarterback hard. Four year starter.
Negatives: Doesn’t always wrap up, instead tries to launch himself at the ball-carrier. Prone to over-pursuit when blitzing off the edge on running plays. Needs to work on press coverage technique. Has the size and strength to be great press corner, but doesn’t use his hands well enough. Is a bit stiff. Could struggle against quick, shifty receivers if he can’t jam them at the line. Played against inferior talent, could struggle adjusting to NFL receivers. Eligibility issues in college. Arrested and tased at a party by police at a party last October.
NFL Comparison: Charles Woodson, Malcom Jenkins
Projection: Johnson is an intriguing small school prospect that possesses ideal size and speed for an NFL corner. With some good coaching of press echnique he could be dominant in the pros. This will be crucial to Johnson’s success at the next level, as he could struggle against smaller, shifty receivers if he can’t disrupt them at the line. Johnson’s tenacity and physicality in run support is unquestionable, and he’ll likely earn the respect from his coaches and veteran teammates quickly because of this. Johnson is a ball hawk and has the potential to swing the game in his team’s favor on every play. He brings versatility to a defense in that he can play corner or safety, as well as blitz hard off the edge. His combination of size, strength, and speed also makes him a candidate to cover tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham, something NFL teams are desperately searching for. Johnson is talented and versatile enough to be used in a role similar to Charles Woodson’s in Green Bay. To me, Johnson is a first round talent that is on par with Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick. However, level of competition and character concerns will likely prevent him from being selected until day two. As long as his character checks out in the interview process, he shouldn’t make it out of the second round.
-Ryan
Game Film:
Interview at combine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hREXGwE0yE