It was easy to overlook cornerback Anthony Johnson. The former Virginia standout didn’t arrive with as much fanfare as other New Orleans Saints undrafted free agents, but the team was thrilled to sign him after the 2023 draft — NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that Johnson received a whopping $231,000 in guarantees, second-most of the Saints rookie free agent class. Only Arkansas-Pine Bluff offensive lineman Mark Evans had a larger portion of his rookie deal guaranteed at signing ($241,000).
That’s impressive, but Johnson is an impressive prospect. He played often at Louisville from 2018 to 2020 before transferring to Virginia for a larger role on defense in 2021, and the move paid off: he intercepted 5 passes and logged 15 pass breakups in two years with the Cavaliers. He was named first-team All-ACC last year, too.
