The Detroit Lions made a concerted effort to get better in the back end of the defense. One of the key additions to the secondary recently picked up some lofty accolades.
Versatile safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson cracked the Touchdown Wire list of top 11 safeties at No. 3 overall. Analyst Doug Farrar is a big fan of Gardner-Johnson’s impactful play during the safety’s stints in New Orleans and Philadelphia.
As a free-range deep safety in one- and two-high looks, Gardner-Johnson provided extreme value with his sideline-to-sideline range and ball skills.
But wait, there’s more!
Gardner-Johnson is more than capable of stopping a run play in the backfield with timed gap-shooting moves, and taking down enemy quarterbacks when the need arises.
We’ve already seen Gardner-Johnson’s energy and confidence as an agitator during minicamp, as well as his willing mentorship for youngsters Jerry Jacobs and Kerby Joseph. It’s nice to see some national recognition for the Detroit defensive addition.
