Packers 2023 Draft Review: S Anthony Johnson Jr.
By Paul Bretl
With the third of four seventh-round selections, the Green Bay Packers took Iowa State safety Anthony Johnson Jr. As part of my draft review, I take a deeper dive into that selection.
In this review series, I have been going through Green Bay’s draft picks, taking a closer look at each player’s measurables and key college stats, along with each prospect’s fit with the Packers. I also have draft day quotes from Brian Gutekunst and other members of the organization and a pre-draft scouting report from NFL.com.
If you’ve missed any of the previous reviews, you can find them below.
Anthony Johnson Jr., S, Iowa State
Measurements
5’11” | 205 | RAS: 8.13
In a draft class that didn’t have that, relatively speaking, didn’t have many safeties that put up elite testing numbers, Johnson posted above an 8.0 on RAS scale, which has often been the cutoff for many Brian Gutekunst draft picks. The other two safety picks that Gutekunst has made as GM that recorded a Relative Athletic Score were Darnell Savage and Tariq Carpenter, both of whom scored in the 8.0 to 9.0 range. Johnson ran a 4.54 second 40 time, tested well in the vertical and broad jumps, but was just “okay” in the change of direction drills based on the RAS scale.
Stats to know
The 2022 season was Johnson’s first and only at safety. Prior to that, he was a boundary cornerback at Iowa State for much of his career. As a safety, Johnson primarily lined up in the slot or in the box. He was a willing helper in the run game, ranking 26th out of 200 safeties in PFF’s run-stop rate metric, although missed tackles were an issue at times, as he was credited with 13 on the season. In coverage, Johnson allowed 19 completions on 29 targets at 12.4 yards per catch with two interceptions and two pass breakups. Overall, he didn’t make a ton of plays on the ball, with just two interceptions and 17 pass breakups in a five year career.
Fit with Packers
Although Johnson is a seventh-round pick, many of whom are just fighting for a roster spot, given the current state of the Green Bay Packers’ safety room, he will have the opportunity to compete for playing time as a traditional free safety. In the Joe Barry defense that frequently uses a two-high look with light boxes that is dependent upon safeties being active in the run game, Johnson could fill the Adrian Amos role because of his ability and willingness to take on blockers, rally to the football, and fill gaps in the run game. He could also take some box snaps when the Packers are in dime, just as Amos did, and could potentially see some slot snaps as well, where he has experience from his Iowa State days, aginst tight ends. Special teams will also be another avenue to playing time for Johnson.
The Packers said it
GM Brian Gutekunst via Packers Wire
"“Go back to the versatility we’re talking about. The one thing that sold us on him was, he was the top of football character as you can possibly get, the way they talk about him there. That was one of those fun calls to make because the wiring was exactly what we were looking for.”"
Pre-draft scouting report
"“Cornerback turned safety with good athletic traits for the safety position and rare physicality from a former cornerback. Johnson has grown into a safety’s frame but is versatile enough to play near the line of scrimmage or line up over the slot. He moves fluidly with good play speed but is still processing angles and coverage responsibilities at his new position. He will come downhill and hit anything near the line of scrimmage with everything he’s got, but he needs to learn to control his aggression to become a more consistent tackler. Johnson’s traits, versatility and toughness give him a chance to become a starting safety or nickel safety.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com"