The Kansas City Chiefs have found more cornerback help in that of former Houston Texans second-round pick Lonnie Johnson.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson has been traded to Kansas City for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2024.
For Kansas City, this move comes after a 2022 NFL Draft in which the team added cornerback Trent McDuffie in the first round while selecting fellow corners Joshua Williams (fourth round) and Jaylen Watson (seventh round).
The team has been in need of cornerback help after losing former No. 1 cover guy Charvarius Ward to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency.
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Impact of the Kansas City Chiefs acquiring Lonnie Johnson
A second-round pick out of Kentucky back in 2019, the 26-year-old Johnson has been a part-time starter in three NFL seasons.
He struggled in coverage as a rookie in 2019, yielding a 111.6 QB rating and four touchdowns when targeted. Johnson improved to an extent in 2020 (98.8 rating allowed) before picking it up big time this past season.
- Lonnie Johnson stats (2021): 55 tackles, six passes defended, three interceptions, 58% completion, 76.7 QB rating allowed
At the very least, Kansas City gets some competition at cornerback for the three rookies it added in the NFL Draft. Johnson is still young and boasts a nice amount of upside.
For now, it looks like McDuffie will join Rashad Fenton as the Chiefs’ starters to open training camp.
As for Houston, the decision to trade Lonnie Johnson comes after months of speculation that general manager Nick Caserio and Co. had soured on him. Houston added stud cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. to the mix with the third pick in last week’s draft. It also signed veteran Steven Nelson in free agency while retaining slot guy Desmond King.
There wasn’t any room on the roster for Johnson.