Huard: A cornerback in the draft who fits Seahawks’ ‘formula’

With Riq Woolen departing in free agency, cornerback is one of the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest needs heading into next month’s NFL Draft.

Seahawks’ Macdonald expects DeMarcus Lawrence back for ’26

As a result, various mock drafts have projected South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse, Clemson’s Avieon Terrell and Tennessee’s Colton Hood as potential cornerback targets for the Seahawks with their No. 32 overall pick.

But during the Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard listed another name to keep an eye on: San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.

“He’s got the kind of traits (the Seahawks) love,” Huard said. “… Those kind of things, you throw into the Seahawk formula of what they like to look for and what (head coach) Mike Macdonald likes to look for, and maybe a guy that can be scheme-versatile as well. He has not just been a press corner. They do some cool stuff at San Diego State with versatility within their defense.”

Johnson is coming off a spectacular senior season at SDSU this past fall.

He filled up the stat sheet with four interceptions, two pick-sixes, nine pass breakups, one sack, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. When targeted in coverage, he held opposing quarterbacks to a mere 16.1 passer rating, allowing just 18 completions on 43 attempts. And in Pro Football Focus grading, he ranked No. 2 out of 387 FBS cornerbacks.

For his efforts, the 6-foot, 193-pound Johnson was named an Associated Press second-team All-American and the Mountain West Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Word to the wise…DO NOT throw the ball near @Chris1Johnson_ #AztecFAST 🍢 x #BeTheA1pha 🐺 x #TheClimb 📈

📺: Head to @CBSSportsNet to catch the second half! pic.twitter.com/jikOBK6or0

— San Diego State Football (@AztecFB) September 21, 2025

Johnson then shined at the NFL scouting combine in late February. Among cornerbacks, he posted the third-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.40 seconds) and tied for the most 225-pound reps in the bench press (17). In addition, NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that Johnson is a “scheme-versatile cornerback” with the “the ability to play inside or outside.”

Based on recent mock drafts, Johnson could still be on the board for Seattle at No. 32. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has Johnson going to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 40 overall, while ESPN’s Matt Miller projects him to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 41.

Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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