Bears’ Jaylon Johnson makes PFF’s top 32 outside cornerbacks list

Bears' Jaylon Johnson is one of the best young defenders in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus released its top 32 outside cornerbacks list ahead of the 2022 NFL season and named Johnson at No. 28.

Out of tiers one through five, Johnson was placed in the fifth category among up-and-coming cornerbacks. He joins the company of defensive backs Rasul Douglas, Rashad Fenton, Kristian Fulton, Eric Stokes and Greg Newsome.

"Mild panic set in once the media saw Johnson running with the second-team unit during OTAs, but head coach Matt Eberflus said it was nothing to look too much into," PFF wrote. "Johnson has already shown enough for his ceiling to be a true CB1. Despite snagging just one interception since entering the league in 2020, the 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback ranks eighth in forced incompletion rate (15.3%) since then. If Johnson can reel in his occasional over-aggressiveness, he can significantly climb these rankings."

Entering his third season with the Bears, Johnson anticipates a 'hard nose,' 'attacking' defense under new coach Eberflus. Although it irked him to recently practice with the second unit, Johnson said he doesn't think it was due to his matter of ability.

"I don’t see it as a problem,” Johnson told "The Jim Rome Show" last week. “I don’t want to say it didn’t bother me. But at the end of the day, it’s not anything I’m going to give too much energy to. I feel like it's one of those things where I know what I can do. And if I’m not mistaken, they know what I can do as well."

Here is the full list from PFF: