John Johnson

One of the most heralded free-agent signings of this offseason, Johnson moves to Cleveland to headline the secondary in what is one of the league's best defenses entering the season. Still just 25, Johnson has already logged four starting seasons with the Rams as a third-round pick out of Boston College. He did well in each of them, especially the last three years. Johnson's per-snap tackle rate projects to about 113 per 1,000 snaps, so a triple-digit output should be the expectation even as he heads into a new system.

As long as he recovers from the season-ending shoulder injury he suffered Week 6 of last year, Johnson should return to providing DB1 IDP output. He did so already in 2018 with 119 tackles and four interceptions, and he was well on his way to a similar outcome before the injury in 2019, accumulating 51 tackles and two interceptions on 402 snaps. There might be slight cause for concern over the Rams switching from Wade Phillips to Brandon Staley at defensive coordinator, if only because Phillips' scheme allowed safeties Johnson, Eric Weddle, and Taylor Rapp to ridiculously combine for 259 tackles. Weddle is retired now, leaving just Johnson and Rapp to fight for tackles, so they should both breeze to DB1 returns if the scheme doesn't change too much.

Johnson has quietly been highly productive in both his NFL seasons, averaging more than one tackle per 10 snaps, including a full-blown eruption last year that has him in the hunt for the top IDP spot in 2019. Not only did he post 119 tackles, but he did it on the rather low snap count of 965 - a count that could easily grow in 2019. The zones used by DC Wade Phillips place a lot of responsibility on Johnson in coverage, too, and with 22 passes defended in his career there's reason to think last year's four interceptions is a sustainable total.

Johnson was a promising prospect when the Rams selected him in the third round out of Boston College last year, and his rookie season was more productive than expected. He wasn't quite a three-down player – maybe more like 2.5 – but that's a fine foundation for a 22-year-old. The Rams are thin enough at safety that Johnson should claim a proper three-down role this year, and a triple-digit tackle pace could be within reach if that occurs.