Former Texas A&M star Antonio Johnson stunned the NFL in 2025, leading all safeties in PFF grade while recording five interceptions in a breakout season.
Few players in the NFL made a bigger leap in 2025 than former Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson, whose breakout season with the Jacksonville Jaguars has suddenly turned him into one of the league’s most talked-about defensive backs.
Johnson finished the year with an 86.9 Pro Football Focus grade, the highest mark among all NFL safeties. For a player who slipped all the way to No. 160 overall in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the rise has been nothing short of stunning.
The former Texas A&M Aggies standout always had the physical tools.
At A&M, Johnson was known for his length, athleticism, and downhill tackling ability. But NFL scouts questioned whether his coverage skills would translate against pro offenses, which ultimately pushed him down draft boards.
Two seasons later, those doubts look wildly misplaced.
Johnson’s development in coverage became the defining storyline of his 2025 campaign. The Jaguars' safety allowed just 202 receiving yards all season and recorded five interceptions, the second-highest total among safeties in the league.
His ability to read quarterbacks, close passing windows, and turn defense into takeaways helped fuel Jacksonville’s secondary.
The improvement is even more impressive when considering where Johnson started. His 2024 season earned a modest 43.8 PFF grade, leaving questions about whether he would develop into a reliable starter.
Instead, Johnson spent the offseason refining his technique and film study, returning as a completely different player.
Inside the Jaguars organization, the belief in Johnson never wavered. Jacksonville’s front office viewed him as a long-term project with elite upside, and that patience is now paying off.
For Texas A&M fans who watched Johnson dominate SEC offenses, the breakout feels familiar. For the rest of the NFL, however, the message is becoming clear.
Antonio Johnson isn’t a hidden gem anymore ... he’s a star in the making.