Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is a franchise cornerstone. General manager Ryan Poles made Johnson the face of the defense when he signed him to a four-year extension worth $76 million earlier this offseason. Chicago's premier cover-man is looking forward to testing his abilities versus the new-look wide receiver room.
Poles transformed Chicago's pass-catching unit in anticipation of Caleb Williams' arrival at quarterback. Poles acquired six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen via trade, and then drafted former Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze with a top-10 pick, adding both of them to a crew that already had 1,000-yard wideout D.J. Moore.
Johnson recorded a career-high four interceptions and 10 passes defensed last season. His Pro Football Focus coverage grade was an elite, league-high, personal-best 91.0. Iron sharpens iron with July's training camp period promising to deliver must-see matchups that will pit Johnson versus Moore, Allen, and Odunze in coverage.
“[Keenan] is a receiver that is unpredictable,” Johnson said during OTAs. “As skillful as a lot of these guys are in this league that do a lot of great things, I feel like they are not as unpredictable, they are not as crafty as I feel like Keenan is. So being able to go against that every day, I think it’s something that can help me and DBs to get better. Then of course Rome Odunze [will] come in and find his way, more so mentally, and then let his instincts and his physical being take over after that. Of course, DJ Moore is DJ — he’s a playmaker so for me, every time I come out, especially for camp, I know I’ll be ready to go for sure.”
The Chicago Bears possess the pieces required to field an outstanding defense in 2024. Having an elite receiver room is going to help Johnson and other young defensive backs such as Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson take steps forward this offseason. Training camp should provide plenty of opportunities for personal improvement.