Michael Johnson looks like he is worth a 7th rounder
Strengths: Is tall with adequate bulk and impressive athletic ability for his size. Possesses adequate top-end speed and appears to play the game faster than his 40 time indicates. He has long arms and can be tough to throw around. He is a fluid athlete when getting in and out of his pedal. Shows good instincts and natural hips in coverage. Has enough range to cover the deep half of the field. Can change directions quickly, shows adequate burst coming out of cuts and flashes the ability to stay with tight ends in man coverage. Possesses excellent ball skills, is aggressive and is a playmaker that is a dangerous open field runner. He will fill aggressively versus the run at times and has the size-potential to occasionally match up in the box. Does a good job of anticipating the snap, takes the shortest path to the ball and flashes the ability to get to the quarterback when asked to blitz.
Weaknesses: He's smooth in his pedal but lacks ideal quick-twitch athleticism, which leads to some problems when changing directions. Makes too many mental lapses in coverage and needs to become more consistent in order to be trusted. Though he has good size and is capable of lining up close to the line of scrimmage, he doesn't always use hands well, doesn't play with a mean streak and takes too long to shed blocks at times. Takes some poor angles, isn't a powerful tackler and needs to be more consistent wrapping up in space. Though durability isn't a substantial concern at this point, he missed most of Arizona's 2005 spring practices with an injury, he was limited early in the 2006 season due to a deep-thigh bruise and he missed the final two games of his senior season due to an injury.
Overall: Johnson originally attended Tyler (Texas) Junior College. In 2004, he earned first team NJCAA All-American honors after starting 12 games and recording 68 total tackles and six sacks in the regular season. Johnson transferred to Arizona in 2005 but missed much of spring practice that year with a leg injury. He saw action in 11 games (four starts) during the 2005 season, finishing the year with 60 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions (one returned for a 40-yard touchdown), four pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. In 2006, Johnson started 10 games at strong safety (missing the final two games with injury) and registered 47 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one fumble recovery, earning a second team All-Pac 10 honor.
Johnson needs to be more physical at times and he did not play to his potential as a senior. He is inconsistent in coverage and he must improve as a tackler before he can compete for playing time at the next level. With all that said, though, Johnson possesses good physical tools, including above-average speed and athletic ability for his size. While he looked like a second-day pick on film in 2006, Johnson's upside could get him chosen late on Day 1.
