Cornelius

Overlooked in an average Michigan passing attack, does WR Cornelius Johnson have the tools to transcend his production this upcoming season?

Johnson has the size, speed, and complete skill set to be a quality boundary X-receiver at the NFL level, but he can also be moved inside to the slot, where his acceleration and size could be valuable over the middle of the field. Johnson has all of those in his toolbox, and he’s shown that he can employ them with speed and precision. His length not only gives him a catch radius that can supersede smaller defensive backs, but it also allows him to swipe and beat press in tandem with his lateral agility. He can also be susceptible to focus drops when faced with imminent contact, resorting to body-catching and failing to secure with his hands. Expanding on his route running, Johnson has shown that he can use his head to feign intent and bait DBs into committing upfield. Johnson’s combination of length, explosiveness, and energy is enticing, and he’s already shown that he can channel his traits and separate independently as a route runner. As a route runner, Johnson can strive to channel his talent with more efficiency. He is able to chop his feet quickly to halt, sink, and redirect at stems, and he has the loose hips to swivel around tightly and cut sharp angles while decelerating. He can push to the boundary and then quickly sink and break inside, and he attacks routes with a full head of steam. He’s a fleet-footed athlete who can use sudden steps to gain displacement on releases, and he can cut moderately acute angles with lateral twitch and foot speed on routes. But is there enough on his tape to overlook the modest production and bank on the traits? Additionally, he can gear up to disrupt tackling angles and escape into open space as a RAC threat.