Chauncey Gardner-Johnson NFL Draft 2019: Scouting Report for Saints' Pick

STRENGTHS

—Athletic, well-built (5'11", 210 lbs) defensive back prospect who has experience at cornerback and safety, making him perfect for the modern NFL as a matchup defender.

—Shows off good recovery speed on the field and on the track (4.48-second 40-yard dash) with the ability to attack the ball behind him and catch up to receivers.

—H-I-T-T-E-R who isn't afraid of contact and will come downhill with a full head of steam; can play in the slot and work as an extra linebacker.

—Has experience playing single-high safety; showed instincts and range in deep coverage and has the speed to play center field.

—Raw prospect who can be developed into whatever teams need and might be able to play multiple positions in the course of a season; the ideal defensive chess piece to line up across from whatever the offense's best player is.

WEAKNESSES

—Could get a tweener label from teams given he hasn't been used exclusively at one position over the last two years at Florida.

—Footwork can get heavy in a phone booth and might not have the short-area quickness to consistently handle slot duties in the pros.

—Aggressive style will get him into trouble; jumps on play-fakes and can get fooled by misdirection.

—Plays a little tall in man coverage, which can cause his transitions to be slower.

—Allows too many runners to bounce off his frame when attempting to make a big hit. Missed a lot of tackles in last two seasons.

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson Highlights

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OVERALL

Gardner-Johnson is a lot like Minkah Fitzpatrick or Jalen Ramsey were coming out of college—fantastic defenders the NFL can’t agree on where to play. Unlike those former first-rounders, Gardner-Johnson doesn’t have great production on the ball or in coverage to back up his versatility. What he does have is excellent potential and versatility, which should make CGJ a top-50 pick.

GRADE: 6.90 (ROUND 2—ROOKIE IMPACT)

PRO COMPARISON: Justin Reid