A blazing 40 time and one of the best broad jumps at the position has Johnson turning heads
UH's Johnson continues to impress, grow as cornerback
Mar 4, 2019, 2:26 pm
A blazing 40 time and one of the best broad jumps at the position has Johnson turning heads
"I feel like it's more complex in the mind too. For me, I like beating people mentally before physically."
Isaiah Johnson used to play wide receiver for the Houston Cougars and halfway through his career he found his true football calling. Switching from catching passes to defending them, Johnson sets his sights and mind on the NFL.
"I personally like corner better," Johnson said at the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend. "You know everybody has their different likes. For me, corner is better because I like to compete and I feel like it's more fun to stop somebody from doing something they want to do rather than me just going and trying to do something."
All he does is dissect film. He takes it home with him on his tablet. Even makes a special trip to the football facility to watch it on the big screen. He enjoys it and knows it is a necessity.
"I was a big film study guy," he said. "So I studied formations studied route concepts - studied what people do and how they like to do it and that was a big thing for me especially in the fast conference that we had to you have to dissect and learn so fast what other people are doing to get a jump on it. I had to study and make sure I knew they were going to do before it happened."
Don't let the smarts fool you, he isn't all brains. Standing six feet two inches tall and weighing in at 208 pounds Johnson skews towards the high end of height-weight at the position. Teams like his physical stature.
"They love my length," he said. "They love my ability to come up and tackle. They love my ability to cover."
The H-Town speed of @_bigplayzay! 💨💨💨 4.40 on his first 40. #GoCoogs
Catch the #NFLCombine live on @nflnetwork. pic.twitter.com/rD95YuRpEy
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) March 4, 2019
He's not through growing at corner either.
"Just because I played the position for two years they know I have a higher ceiling than where I'm at right now. They feel like I can fit into multiple schemes. They just really want to see what I can do and see my max potential that way they know how I fit in their scheme."
Speed, size and coverage skills. @_bigplayzay is taking all of that from H-Town to the NFL! #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/hHVyNu5kEz
— Houston Football (@UHCougarFB) March 4, 2019
While the NFL career is just starting, the 2018 Human Resources and Development major already knows what he'd like to do when he finishes up beating NFL wideouts physically and mentally.
""Actually after doing this and just experiencing the real world and seeing how things are I'd rather get into coaching," he said. "Just to affect the future generation try to help them find the love for the game all over again."
We know coach Johnson is going to be a great one in the film room.
The Houston Texans have a big challenge in store as they look to start the season with a win against the Colts this Sunday. When these two teams met in Week 2 last year, the Colts dominated the Texans, despite losing their QB Anthony Richardson to a concussion after the first quarter.
Keeping Richardson contained on Sunday will go a long way in increasing the Texans' chances of coming home with a win. The Texans defense will have their hands full containing the Colts backs and tight ends in the passing game.
Scoring touchdowns with their wide receivers could prove difficult, as the Texans allowed the second-fewest TDs (10) to the receiver position in 2023.
Limiting running back Jonathan Taylor will also be a top priority. While the Texans had an elite defense against the run last season, they struggled with Taylor in Week 18 as he almost rushed for 200 yards.
Houston's D allowed only four carries to running backs in 2023 that went for 20 or more yards. Two of which were to Taylor in the final game of the regular season.
Finally, DeMeco Ryans and company have to find a way to get pressure on the QB. They only had one QB hit and zero sacks on Richardson and Garner Minshew the first time they faced off last year.
On offense, the Texans have two big x-factors to watch for on Sunday. The offensive line that suited up to play the Colts in Week 2 last season is completely different from this year.
The o-line was ravaged with injuries to start the 2023 campaign, so we expect a big jump in productivity in the trenches this year.
Another big addition in 2024 is the presence of running back Joe Mixon. The running game only produced 2 yards per rush in Week 2 against Indy last year, so there's clearly room for improvement.
Be sure to watch the video above for our in-depth preview of Texans-Colts!
And catch Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) live on our SportsMapTexans YouTube channel following every game this season!