Chargers Select Michigan WR Cornelius Johnson

The Los Angeles Chargers have added another Michigan player, this time receiver Cornelius Johnson. This marks the third pass-catcher the team has added to supplement their thin receiving group.

The Los Angeles Chargers fulfilled our prediction of selecting two Wolverines in this year’s draft by selecting Michigan wide receiver Cornelius Johnson with the 253rd selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, a compensatory selection the Chargers received because of the departure of Drue Tranquill in free agency.

It’s not often that one enters the final picks of the NFL draft with players that have easily available scouting reports, but the Chargers have managed to do it by selecting Johnson, who was ranked by analysts as the 194th-best prospect in the draft.

Johnson played the split end position in the Michigan offense, lining up on the line of scrimmage, which enabled free releases for smaller receivers like Roman Wilson. It also meant Johnson was the point man on stacked sets, requiring his blocking efficacy to enable Michigan’s unusual screen game, which often contained motion at the snap.

At 6’3″ 212 pounds, Johnson offers size and speed, having run a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and a 1.52-second 10-yard split. The quickness he demonstrated with his 6.93-second three cone was evident on the field, but he still struggled to separate against decent coverage and could improve his overall route-running.

His small hands have led to problems and he was 15 drops over the last three years of play on 119 catchable passes. That’s more drops than touchdown catches (10 in three years), concerning for a big body many assume should produce in the red zone. An older prospect, there may not be much development left for him.

Nevertheless, this is more upside than most find at the end of the draft.