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Dallas Cowboys Draft: Top-10 safeties and their potential fit

By Adithya Prabakaran

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 30: Byron Murphy #1 and Taylor Rapp #7 of the Washington Huskies hit Solomon Enis #21 of the Utah Utes and forced him to drop the ball during the Pac 12 Championship game at Levi's Stadium on November 30, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 30: Byron Murphy #1 and Taylor Rapp #7 of the Washington Huskies hit Solomon Enis #21 of the Utah Utes and forced him to drop the ball during the Pac 12 Championship game at Levi's Stadium on November 30, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 29: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson #23 of the Florida Gators returns an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 29: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson #23 of the Florida Gators returns an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida

What’s Good: Coverage Skills

What Ain’t Good: Hand Usage, Consistency

Just because I wrote one “Good” trait doesn’t mean I think Garner-Johnson is bad by any means. The best thing about him is his coverage skills, which is essential for all defensive backs. What do I mean by that? He can follow any receiver in man coverage, he generally plays zones well even if they are more shallow than the traditional safety, and when the ball is in the air he goes after it.

Gardner-Johnson projects well at the next level. In an era where defensive back versatility has been important for defenses, Gardner-Johnson should fit right in. He can cover well and tackle in the open space.

His tape shows two noticeable flaws. When blitzing and taking on blocks by linemen and even running backs, he gets swallowed because they inadvertently grab him. It’s one thing to get stuffed by a blocker but when they can almost bear hug you, trying to retreat to the ball isn’t always easy. But even with this, he still had 3 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 2018 according to Sports Reference.

Gardner-Johnson shows flashes of brilliance. He’ll diagnose a play or he’ll prevent a completion and he’ll look fantastic. Other times, you watch him and he looks out of place. Gardner-Johnson will have the ability to develop at the next level and hopefully his consistency can progress in his development.

Could he be a Cowboy?:

No. Would he be available when the Cowboys select in the second round? Perhaps, but would he be a good fit for the Cowboys? No. Why you ask? Because he should be playing corner at the next level. When playing man coverage outside and in the slot, he looked so natural. The team to realize he should be playing corner will reap the biggest reward.

At this point, it would be very ill-advised for the Cowboys to select a cornerback for anything outside of special teams. There is simply too much talent. Byron Jones and Chidobe Awuzie are good enough to secure the outside, Anthony Brown is playing well in the slot, and we still have Jourdan Lewis on the bench. The need for someone with Gardner-Johnson’s skill set is nonexistent.

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