He’s more intriguing by the day.
He ranked sixth on that mystery board in the Cowboys’ defensive coaches’ room, which broke down like this:
Dominque Rogers-Cromartie, CB, Tenn. St.
Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy
Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida
Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas
Tyrell Johnson, S, Arkansas St.
Charles Godrey, DB, Iowa ?
Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona ?
? - (I think these last two are right but the resolution is fuzzy.)
We don’t know and we’ll probably never know the author of that board, whether it was a position coach or somebody else in the organization. Regardless, it shows a high regard for the man from Arkansas State.
On Friday, I noticed the NFL Network’s Pat Kirwin had Johnson second in his safety ratings and said Johnson could sneak into the late first round. If that Cowboys’ board is accurate, Johnson has a late first/early 2nd rating. I’ve seen at least one mock put Johnson in the early 40s.
Can Dallas land him at 61? Doesn’t seem likely, given he’s rated above a host of well-regarded, second-tier cornerbacks. Might he be a sleeper pick if the team stays at 28, or a prime target if they trade down into the early second?
Whatever, he’s got “Roy Williams replacement” written all over him. Watch for him at the turn of the first and second rounds.