2019 NFL Draft: Immediate reactions, grades to Raiders selection of CB Isaiah Johnson

After trading out of the 109th overall pick with the Colts, the Raiders selected ... with the 129th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. How does the staff at Silver & Black Pride view the selection?

Tyler Green

At 6’2” and 208 lbs, Johnson has great size and athleticism and perfectly fits the mold of what defensive coordinator Paul Guenther looks for in his cornerbacks. In 2018, he recorded two interceptions and led Houston with seven pass breakups. But he also showed a lack of consistency, and likely won’t start immediately for the Raiders. Overall, Johnson has the ability to become an impact press corner for the Silver & Black in two or three years.

Grade: B+

Ryan Lipton

Johnson is a huge project but has a ton of upside. His height, frame and speed along with his solid ball skills (used to be WR) would make anyone salivate at his potential. He has all the traits to become a dominant cornerback in the future, but needs to work on his tackling and technique before he will even see the field at all. Overall, Day 3 is where Johnson should have gone, so the value is fine, and the Raiders have a future prospect at another position of need.

Grade: B

BD Williams

Standing at 6’2 208lbs, its clear the Raiders have a “type” at corner. Johnson is a very smooth and fluid athlete despite being bigger than most corners. He was impressive at the combine posting great numbers in athletic testing but also showing great footwork and clean transitions in the on-field drills. Johnson doesn’t have the type of production you might want to see coming from Houston, but he has a ton of upside and the Raiders need corners to defend the likes of Patrick Mahomes for the next 10 years.

Grade: A-

Marcus Krause

My only problem with this pick is that it wasn’t Alabama LB Mack Wilson who fits a far greater need for the Raiders, but overall I am excited to add Isaiah Johnson. This is a player who only just switched to defense from WR for his last two seasons, similar to Richard Sherman and Sam Shields who were both extremely successful switching to DB after being a WR. Johnson is a 6’2 CB with 4.4 speed and a 36in vertical who could turn out to be a steal in the 4th once he has more experience on defense.

Grade: A

Thomas Wheaton

Drafting another cornerback in the fourth round is a little confusing to me considering other roster needs, but if you are going to take a bit of a project, Isaiah Johnson is not a bad pick. At 6’2” Johnson is tall and physical, a good compliment to the somewhat undersized cornerbacks on the roster. Definitely a player for the future and likely won’t be able to crack the starting lineup this year, but Johnson is a nice depth piece in the Oakland secondary.

Grade: B-