Houston has no problem with Lonnie Johnson: Texans take UK cornerback in round two
The Houston Texans selected University of Kentucky cornerback Lonnie Johnson with the 54th overall pick during the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft on Friday.
Johnson arrived at UK by way of Garden City Community College and played in all 26 games in his two years with the Wildcats, starting the final 18. He recorded his first career interception at Kentucky during its victory over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl, capping a 10-3 season. Johnson finished with 64 tackles at the school.
NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein projected Johnson as a second-round selection, and wrote of him: “His physical gifts could get him overdrafted, but he can become an eventual starter if he hones his ball skills and finds the right scheme fit.”
Johnson was the eighth cornerback selected overall and the seventh picked in the second round. Georgia’s Deandre Baker was the only first-round corner, going 30th overall to the New York Giants on Thursday. Byron Murphy (Washington) and Rock Ya-Sin (Temple) opened the second round at picks No. 33 (Arizona) and No. 34 (Indianapolis) and were soon followed by Sean Bunting (Central Michigan) and Trayvon Mullen (Clemson) at picks No. 39 (Tampa Bay) and No. 40 (Oakland). Joejuan Williams (Vanderbilt) and Greedy Williams (LSU) were picked at No. 45 (New England) and No. 46 (Cleveland) before Johnson was selected.
He is UK’s ninth second-round selection in an NFL Draft and the first Wildcat to be picked in round two since Randall Cobb went 64th overall to the Green Bay Packers in 2011. His selection, following Josh Allen’s in the first round Thursday, guaranteed that Kentucky will have multiple NFL Draft picks for the first time since 2015 (when Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith went in the first and fourth rounds, respectively).
During an interview with SportsRadio 610 in Houston soon after he was selected, Johnson — a 6-foot-2, 213-pound prospect — said he’s most excited to show off his physicality and hunger for the Texans, with whom he was hoping he’d land.
“We kept counting down the picks and then when I saw that they had back-to-backs, I was like, ‘It’s gotta be them, it’s gotta be them,’” Johnson, who was holding a draft party in his hometown of Gary, Ind., said. “’I don’t think they’re gonna pass on me.’ And once they picked me, once my phone was ringing, I just broke down.”
According to Spotrac’s projections, Johnson’s rookie deal would be worth about $5.2 million over the course of four years.
Johnson was the first of several members of UK’s secondary who hoped to hear their names called in this year’s draft. Derrick Baity, Mike Edwards and Darius West were all projected to go in later rounds coming into the weekend, and Chris Westry also was draft eligible.
Two of the league’s most prominent pass rushers, Jadaveon Clowney and J.J. Watt, play for the Texans. “They’re going to be my best friends,” Johnson told Houston media members on Friday.
“There’s gonna be a lot of stuff happening,” Johnson said during the radio interview. “I can’t wait, I can’t wait. I’m glad I got them down there, for sure.”
This story was originally published April 26, 2019 at 8:49 PM.