Prospect ranking lists are an important part of the build up for the NFL draft. Fans of NFL teams can fantasize about their favorite squad adding the top players at positions they feel will improve their team, and college fans can see how experts stack their players up against players from around the country.
One of the foremost outlets in the space, is Pro Football Focus, and according to the experts there, an Aggie is near the top of his position group.
That Aggie, is Antonio Johnson, who according to PFF, is the second best safety available in the 2023 NFL draft, and projects him as a 1st round pick.
In their evaluation of Johnson they say:
If you’ve watched Kyle Hamilton in his role this season with the Ravens, that’s a good idea of what we can expect from Johnson at the next level. It’s exactly the role he handled for the Aggies the past two seasons. His 26 coverage stops over that span were the fourth most among Power Five defensive backs, as his 91 targets went for only 368 yards (4.0 yards per target).
His acceleration for a 6-foot-3 safety is what really makes him unique. He can get past a block or knife into the backfield in the blink of an eye. And then his relatively long wingspan for a safety affords him leeway as a tackler. The only worry is that it’s just about the only role we’ve ever seen him play. We don’t particularly know how he’ll fare if asked to expand his horizons in the NFL.
Johnson sits behind only Brian Branch of Alabama on PFF’s rankings.
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