2021 NFL Draft sleeper: Cade Johnson shows out at Senior Bowl
The 2021 NFL Draft is loaded at the wide receiver position, perhaps even more so than the 2020 NFL Draft class which featured a number of big-time playmakers in the first round.
It’s going to be easy for players in the 2021 circuit to fly under the radar, but that’s part of the reason the Senior Bowl is such an important event.
Especially with the way COVID-19 affected college football at every level, the importance of the Senior Bowl cannot be overstated.
For South Dakota State’s Cade Johnson, the 2021 Senior Bowl really helped boost the stock of a player who might have otherwise been talked about all year long by the NFL Draft community.
Johnson certainly made a name for himself prior to the 2020 season, catching 162 passes in three seasons for the Jackrabbits, 28 of which went for touchdowns. As a freshman in 2017, he also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, proving very early on that he had what it takes to possibly play at the next level.
The Nebraska native showed up to the week of practices at the 2021 Senior Bowl in Mobile with plenty to prove to the wide variety of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts in attendance, and he really made an impression.
South Dakota State's Cade Johnson has had a really strong week at the Senior Bowl. pic.twitter.com/f0yVTMuJC6
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) January 27, 2021
SDSU WR Cade Johnson was in his bag. Shuffle release, brought his head and shoulder and made the CB open their hips. Violent rip across face to help accelerate to the slant. Took him into deep water #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/FBaMp3xh6S
— Brad Kelly (@CoachBKelly) January 27, 2021
One of the best plays of the day so far @seniorbowl
— Rivals (@Rivals) January 27, 2021
South Dakota State WR Cade Johnson @cade_johnson with the one-handed snag during one-on-ones@RivalsDraft pic.twitter.com/Id0EbgG7hq
At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Johnson doesn’t profile as your typical WR1 in the NFL. He might not be the biggest or the fastest, but how far can his skill set take him?
Johnson showed — even with a bunch of time away from putting the pads on and going up against top competition — that he is more than capable of jumping into an NFL setting and being competitive in the slot right away.
His ability to separate at the line of scrimmage in some of these clips is a tremendous combination of technique and quickness, and he also makes some really tough catches showing off his strong hands.
All throughout practices at the Senior Bowl, Johnson was leaving defensive backs in the dust in their one-on-one reps.
The former FCS All-American averaged 18.5 yards per reception over the last two seasons for the Jacks and certainly has the ability to win vertically as well as in smaller areas with quickness.
What this player lacks in size, he more than makes up for with play speed, quickness, and strong hands. If he’s not off the board in the top 100 picks, he will be a steal for whatever NFL team winds up getting him.