Isaiah Johnson should excite Las Vegas Raiders fans
By Brad Weiss
Isaiah Johnson missed most of his rookie season in 2019, but Las Vegas Raiders fans should be excited about what he brings to the team in Year 2.
The then-Oakland Raiders made three selections in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, bringing in two defensive players, and one on the offensive side of the ball. Eastern Michigan edge rusher Maxx Crosby was the first of the trio selected, and he certainly made his presence felt as a rookie, earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year considerations.
23 picks later, the Raiders tabbed an exciting cornerback from Houston, making Isaiah Johnson the No. 129 pick overall. Expected to come in and make an impact as a rookie, Johnson saw his rookie season turned on it’s head during an unfortunate incident in the first preseason game.
Marquel Lee‘s knee forced Johnson to miss a chunk of his rookie year, as he suffered a concussion and a facial fracture. He was not activated until early November, making his NFL debut in a home win against division rival Los Angeles.
Johnson would go on to appear in only five games as a rookie, but heading into his second season in the NFL, Raiders fans should be excited about what he brings to the table. He entered Houston as a wide receiver, but was moved over to cornerback, and appeared in 45 games over his four-year span at the school.
Not only does he have solid hands, but he ran a 4.40 40-yard dash prior to the draft, and is not afraid to come up and hit somebody. In fact, after he was drafted he stated that he would have no problem being a key guy on special teams, and that is another area where he can serve the Raiders in 2020.
Las Vegas has revamped their cornerback room this offseason, bringing in rookies Amik Robertson and Damon Arnette via the 2020 NFL Draft. In addition, they recently added veteran Prince Amukamara to a group that should be much-improved this upcoming season.
While the new faces are getting a lot of the publicity, Johnson is sure to be ready when it comes time to get to camp, and is going to put in the work to make a name for himself.
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Johnson is the kind of versatile athlete that this Raiders team is being built around, and he has the talent to impact the game on many levels. He won’t be thrown into the fire in 2020, as there are players above him on the depth chart, but you can be sure he is going to make at least a few plays this season that help the Raiders to a victory.