Rams safety John Johnson poised for Pro Bowl season in 2019

[Riverumbbq]

By: Cameron DaSilva | May 12, 2019 12:00 pm ET


The Los Angeles Rams secondary has garnered a lot of attention over the last two offseasons. Between the acquisitions of Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, the signing of Eric Weddle and the selection of both Taylor Rapp and David Long, there are a lot of eyes watching the Rams’ defensive backfield.

Only two starters in the secondary have remained since 2017: John Johnson and Nickell Robey-Coleman. Both players fly somewhat under the radar, but Johnson is overlooked nationally. That should change in 2019 as he’s poised to break out in a big way.

Johnson had a great 2018 season and helped send the Rams to the Super Bowl with an interception in overtime against the Saints in the NFC championship. He was outstanding in coverage, making acrobatic interceptions like this one.

One area where he’s truly one of the best safeties in the league is in run support. Last season, he was third among all players at his position with 19 run stops, according to Pro Football Focus.
He really stood out at the end of the season, posting the highest tackling grade of any safety from Week 13-17.

What works against Johnson is his lack of exposure. He was PFF’s No. 7 safety in the NFL last season, and was only one of three players in the NFL to post at least 100 tackles and pick off four passes. The others were Shawn Williams and Jordan Poyer.

Yet, despite putting up unmatched numbers, he still missed out on the Pro Bowl. The guys who were selected ahead of him on the NFC squad were Eddie Jackson, Harrison Smith, Landon Collins and Malcolm Jenkins. It’s hard to argue against any of those players as Pro Bowlers, but Collins was inconsistent last season and isn’t the all-around playmaker that Johnson is. Jenkins has been a stud safety for a long time, but he had just one interception and 97 tackles in 2018 and was PFF’s No. 16 safety.

Johnson has the skill set and talent to be a Pro Bowler, it’s just a matter of winning over fans and earning some additional recognition nationally. That should come in 2019 when he’ll be playing alongside a stud like Eric Weddle and hopefully better cornerback play now that Talib is healthy and Peters is more comfortable in the Rams’ defense.

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=pos2image

 

[Ram65]

Keep JJ under the radar before he costs too much.

He is going to be playing center field deep. I don't like the single high safety. QBs moved Joyner over with eye manipulation. Hard for a safety to cover the whole field. Hopefully, JJ can make the move and not miss a beat. Also hope the DBs stay healthy.

 

[tklongball]

I have been very impressed with JJ since he was drafted. He is a very good Safety, and is getting better every year.

 

[BonifayRam]

Our 2019 7 player safety cadre has to be one of the best units in several decades. JJ III might be the best safety since Toby Wright. That's a very long time ago. I like the way the Rams moved this offseason when facing a very tight salary market & the high cost of average starting corners as of late.

Eric Weddle -13 seasons
Marqui Christian-4 seasons
John Johnson III- 2 seasons
Steven Parker 1 season (PS)
Ramon Richards 1 season (PS)
Taylor Rapp rookie
Nick Scott rookie

Wade prefers JJ III type safeties. He demands that his starting safeties be able to play both deep or up close near the LOS. JJ III fits this demand perfectly. Savy well seasoned Eric Weddle should blend in here just fine with Wade trending heavy duty use of multiple safeties in many different defenses. Christian is an odd man out here due to his poor skills in deep coverges but he does fit in good in the LB'ing unit. Rookie Rapp & Scott will need to give Wade as much versatility combo of SS/FS as possible if they want to break into the starting unit. Parker is more in the box type & Richard is far more deep safety type.

 

[LA_Rams_#29]

I think JJ is going to play deep more this year... he's got great ball skills...NO pentalties all season … and he can tackle... At this point Wedle playing more in the box is probably a better plan... now with young Taylor coming in behind him as well as a real in the box safety...

Johnson will get more shine this year because he's going to be making more plays down the field for us..

 

[So Ram]

I think JJ is going to play deep more this year... he's got great ball skills...NO pentalties all season … and he can tackle... At this point Wedle playing more in the box is probably a better plan... now with young Taylor coming in behind him as well as a real in the box safety...

Johnson will get more shine this year because he's going to be making more plays down the field for us..

I don’t see that happening. Weddle is listed as a FS . JJ really is better man to man & one on one.

 

[BonifayRam]

I don’t see that happening. Weddle is listed as a FS . JJ really is better man to man & one on one.

My 2 cents worth........
I believe that Wade will mandate Eric go where he wants to go, whenever he desires to go there. I also beleive that Eric will have many options to shift his working safety partners (JJ III -Rapp- or Christian) on the field as he see's the need. Wade thus giving Eric the responsibility to use his off the charts recognition skills before the snap.

 

[So Ram]

My 2 cents worth........
I believe that Wade will mandate Eric go where he wants to go, whenever he desires to go there. I also beleive that Eric will have many options to shift his working safety partners (JJ III -Rapp- or Christian) on the field as he see's the need. Wade thus giving Eric the responsibility to use his off the charts recognition skills before the snap.

You a good point,but I’d say the guy who will be going where ever he wants is Clay. I think Samson will learn a lot from him.
Clay can go from side to side & fall back to the middle of the defense. Weddle will be more of the last resort playing back, but coming up hard to make the tackle.

Will see ?? Rapp should be a good fit who can do some of the same things as Clay, but more from a SS space. I don’t see JJ as a FS .
Christian a little bit more, but over Travis Rapp ?

 

[Ram65]

Weddle will be more of the last resort playing back, but coming up hard to make the tackle.

I'm confused. I thought Weddle is more a box safety and would be playing closer to the line.

 

[BonifayRam]

I'm confused. I thought Weddle is more a box safety and would be playing closer to the line.

EW came out of College running a 40 yard dash under 4.48 Secs. Rams list him as a FS. He has FS/ deep safety size. He has played deep in coverage most of his career but can play close to the LOS just as good as deep.
http://www.nfl.com/player/ericweddle/2495775/profile
https://www.therams.com/team/players-roster/eric-weddle/

 

[Ram65]

EW came out of College running a 40 yard dash under 4.48 Secs. Rams list him as a FS. He has FS/ deep safety size. He has played deep in coverage most of his career but can play close to the LOS just as good as deep.
http://www.nfl.com/player/ericweddle/2495775/profile
https://www.therams.com/team/players-roster/eric-weddle/

Thanks Boni. That 40 time was a long time ago lol. I guess his experience can make up for a little loss in speed. Rams secondary should be ready to rock this year.

 

[Memento]

I admit it: I was against the JJ3 pick when it was made. Note to self: never doubt Les Snead.

JJ3 is a stud, and I hope we re-sign him (and Littleton) to a long-term deal.

 

[BonifayRam]

I admit it: I was against the JJ3 pick when it was made. Note to self: never doubt Les Snead.

JJ3 is a stud, and I hope we re-sign him (and Littleton) to a long-term deal.

I have been a CL fans since he sub'd in his rookie year on the defense & stood out in ST's. He has earned where he is, nothing was handed to him. CL does have some room for some improvement in his run game. But you usually can't have all the skills.

CL has played so many different positions since he entered college & the NFL. Hopefully this upcoming season, where he will most likely start for the 2nd time however he might end up playing a different position @ that weakside interior post where Mark Barron played. I sure do not see Micah Kiser fitting in well @ that post @ 5-11 245lbs he is pure MLB'er.

 

[kurtfaulk]

I admit it: I was against the JJ3 pick when it was made. Note to self: never doubt Les Snead.

JJ3 is a stud, and I hope we re-sign him (and Littleton) to a long-term deal.

Can't keep everyone. I hope the rams make the right choices.

At least they have 2 more years of Johnson. Might work out well with other payers leaving.

.

 

[BonifayRam]

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/06/27/nfl-rams-breakout-john-johnson-safety-2019/
Gil Brandt lists Rams John Johnson as breakout candidate in 2019
By: Andrew Ortenberg

The Los Angeles Rams’ secondary was shaky at times last year. Aqib Talib missed a long stretch of the season due to injury, and Marcus Peters didn’t play up to his standards.

For the most part, the only consistent piece in the back-half of the defense was second-year safety John Johnson. Johnson was reliable the entire year and put together a fantastic season. He started all 16 games, finishing with four interceptions and 11 passes defended. Despite the stellar campaign, Johnson was snubbed from the Pro Bowl and isn’t a household name yet.

According to Gil Brandt of NFL.com, that’s all about to change. Brandt wrote an article identifying defensive backs poised for breakout 2019 seasons, and he put Johnson high on the list.

“Johnson’s name came to mind right away when I first started working on this piece,” he wrote. “He really blossomed in 2018, logging 119 tackles and four interceptions — and that total doesn’t include the pick he recorded against Drew Brees in overtime of the NFC title game to set up the winning kick. I’m expecting Johnson to advance again in 2019 and join the ranks of elite NFL safeties.”

Johnson graded out as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best safety last season so you could argue he’s already there, but nobody in the national sphere seems to have taken note.

“Johnson also appears to have an exceptional ability to find the ball — he’s one of those guys who seems to know where the ball is going before it’s thrown. This is an exceptional player who will get even better,” he continued.

As Brandt pointed out in his piece, the offseason addition of safety Eric Weddle could also help Johnson’s development. The Rams let Lamarcus Joyner walk in free agency, and Weddle is an undeniable upgrade next to Johnson.

Joyner was always a solid player, but he’s not as good as Weddle has been. As a relatively young player himself, Joyner also didn’t have the kind of veteran experience that Weddle offers. Weddle has been in the league since 2007, and he can offer Johnson the type of guidance that only someone who’s been in the NFL for 12 years can.

The reality is that Johnson has already broken out, he just hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves. Johnson is still only 23, which makes his success all the more impressive. Rams fans have known how special he is for a while, but it sounds like the buzz is starting to build. He won’t be a well-kept secret much longer.

 

[nighttrain]

The reality is that Johnson has already broken out, he just hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves. Johnson is still only 23, which makes his success all the more impressive. Rams fans have known how special he is for a while, but it sounds like the buzz is starting to build. He won’t be a well-kept secret much longer.