MIAMI GARDENS — Ask the newest member of the Miami Dolphins secondary for a self scouting report and one word will appear in virtually every answer.
“Relentless.”
Cornerback Chris Johnson, the Dolphins’ late first-round pick from San Diego State, was told by coach Jeff Hafley he had the right attitude to make it in the NFL.
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Johnson defines that attitude as being “relentless” and “remaining hungry.”
Always.
“I’m just always a hundred percent,” he said about that attitude after arriving in Miami less than 24 hours after he was selected. “But all my effort out there, being relentless on the field, I definitely just bring that to my game.”
The Dolphins targeted Johnson on the first day of the NFL draft, something he was not used to at San Diego State — being targeted — where he was a second-team All-American, a first-team All-Mountain West selection and was named Co-Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Miami traded up three spots, to No. 27, in a deal with the 49ers. Johnson was the seventh-rated cornerback in the draft, according to Pro Football Focus, but the second player at his position off the board behind LSU’s Mansoor Delane, who went sixth overall to the Chiefs.
That will give Johnson some extra motivation, as will those who have questioned if a 6-foot, 3/8-inch corner can have success against the league’s taller wide receivers.
“This organization views me how they view me,” Johnson said. “That’s all that I really care about.
“It’s definitely something to prove. But there’s always going to be people that doubt you. So I’m always going to remain hungry.”
As for shutting down receivers four, five inches taller, that is where that attitude comes in.
“Nobody out there is going to be the same size,” he said. “I’m going take on blocks from a pulling tackle and I can’t do nothing about it but to do it. There’s nothing to complain about. So if that’s the case, I’m going to do it.”
Chris Johnson’s athleticism stood out at NFL Combine
Perhaps those projections ignored his eye-popping NFL Combine performance where Johnson posted a 40 time of 4.4 seconds and a vertical leap of 38 inches.
Johnson’s overall athleticism score was tops among all cornerbacks, which confirmed what Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had seen on tape.
“It helps you come to the conclusion this guy is exactly what we think he is,” Sullivan said.
One outlet labeled Johnson the combine’s “best kept secret.”
“He killed it,” Aztecs head coach Sean Lewis told the Times of San Diego. “It was great for him to have that stage and that opportunity. It was awesome to see him compete the way we’ve seen him compete for the past two seasons. We weren’t surprised. He was ready for that moment and maximized the opportunity.”
Johnson could not have stepped into a better spot — and not just because he is going from the West Coast paradise in San Diego to the East Coast paradise in Miami. The Dolphins’ two starting cornerbacks left via free agency, which the team did not have a problem with, and the position had little depth.
Johnson was asked if his goal is to be a starter his rookie season.
“Yes, for sure,” he said, before adding, “you know, whether that happens or not, that’s not going to affect the way I play. Like I said, I’m a relentless player, so if I’ve got to find another way to get on the field, I will.”
We get it. Relentless.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Why Miami Dolphins’ Chris Johnson believes he has right attitude for NFL
Reporting by Tom D’Angelo, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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