It appeared likely that Antonio Johnson would be a Day 2 selection in the 2023 NFL draft with an outside chance at being a surprise first-round pick. Instead, the former Texas A&M safety slipped to the fifth round where he was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 160 pick.
That was great news for the Jaguars, who were credited with landing one of the steals of the draft class. For Johnson, it was a frustrating weekend that he’s ready to use as fuel in his NFL career.
“For sure it put a chip on my shoulder,” Johnson said earlier this week, via the Florida Times-Union. “I just feel like it put that much hunger into me. God works in mysterious ways, and this is how it happened. I’m blessed to be here and I’m going to go out here and prove myself now.”
In Jacksonville, Johnson joins a secondary that was 28th against the pass in 2022. A lackluster pass rush was a significant part of the team’s struggles in that area, but the Jaguars added three defensive backs in each of the last two drafts.
Johnson, who played a significant amount of time in the slot during his collegiate career, may be well-equipped to contribute early in his career. While the Jaguars have a pair of starting safeties in Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco, the team struggled to find a reliable slot cornerback after moving Darious Williams outside late in the year.
