Faceoff - ILB Derrick Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs

Posted 8/12, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Jene Bramel

Derrick Johnson has never fulfilled the promise many veteran IDP owners saw in him as a first round draft pick in 2005. He's played both OLB positions, usually in an every-down role alongside mediocre teammates while given plenty of big play opportunity, but has never put up more than 83 solo tackles in his four year career. Why should 2009 be any different?

Though he's yet to remain consistent through a full season, Johnson has flashed the ability to go on streaks of consistency. He was on a 90+ solo tackle pace as a rookie in 2005 and again in 2007 before injury and the usual issues strong side linebackers face caught up with him. He's also proven himself able in the big play department, with 9.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles and 19 passes defensed (three interceptions) during his career. The talent would seem to be there for him to fill up the boxscores with the right opportunity.

This season, Johnson will have the right opportunity. Instead of bouncing back and forth between SLB and ROLB, Johnson looks likely to play the RILB position in Clancy Pendergast's hybrid 3-4 scheme the Chiefs will employ in 2009. That role has been very favorable to Karlos Dansby in recent seasons, and Dansby, a former SLB/OLB with durability and consistency issues, resembles Johnson in many ways. The potential for Johnson to flourish in the tackle and big play columns is there. That potential should be easier to reach on this Kansas City defense, which is clearly in transition and likely to provide plenty of tackle opportunity without much competition for tackles.

Clearly, Johnson's past history should give prospective owners pause. But he's currently the consensus LB37 among all IDP staffers, with Sigmund Bloom sharing my opinion that Johnson is a starting caliber LB (LB36+) in tackle heavy leagues. He looks to be an easy get as a LB3 right now, and could possibly be had as a LB4. At that price, he's all upside.

Downside - by Aaron Rudnicki

Derrick Johnson entered the league as a very highly regarded LB prospect but he slid to the 15th pick in the draft due to some concerns about his ability to shed blockers. He wound up starting every game as a rookie with the Chiefs and has had a solid 4-year career thus far, but he has not lived up to the high expectations many had for him. Part of the blame for this could likely be attributed to the fact that he has played a position, strongside linebacker, which isn't always conducive to putting up big tackle numbers or big plays. He has also played on some poor teams with limited talent up front that haven't given him much protection or help. That doesn't seem likely to change in 2009.

With a new management group and coaching staff taking over in Kansas City, it appears that Johnson will shift to a brand new position this year as well. New defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast was brought over from the Cardinals coming off their surprising trip to the Super Bowl and he will implement a 3-4 front with the Chiefs. As a result, Johnson will be shifted from playing strongside outside linebacker in a 4-3 to playing inside linebacker in a 3-4. While many linebackers have had success with this transition, there have been some others that have struggled. Initial reports indicate that Johnson will be given more opportunities to freelance this year, which may allow him to make some big plays but could also wind up putting him frequently out of position and hindering his production.

It appears one of the keys to watch for in the preseason is whether he lines up on the weakside or the strongside. Johnson is somewhat undersized to play the strongside ILB spot in a 3-4, where linebackers tend to see a lot more attention from opposing blockers. Zach Thomas is expected to start alongside him, but he's also an undersized player who is probably not well suited to taking on blockers either. Regardless of where he lines up, if the Chiefs do not get solid play from the NT position, Johnson may have a difficult time staying unblocked and chasing down plays in pursuit.

With Johnson now entering the final year of his rookie contract, he should certainly have plenty of motivation to have a huge statistical season. Additionally, playing either ILB spot in a 3-4 front should provide him with plenty of additional tackle opportunities compared to previous seasons. But, will that be enough to take him from being a marginal starter in most IDP leagues the past few years to a LB1? Probably not. Look for some improvement in his tackle numbers, but if he doesn't improve his big play numbers as well, there's a good chance he won't be much more than a LB2 this year.