draft analyst Jordan Reid projected the Dallas Cowboys to take San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson at No. 20 overall in his latest mock draft, putting a fast-rising defensive back into one of the draft’s most closely watched first-round slots.
The projection landed on a Thursday night when 26 teams were set to begin the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, and it immediately sharpened one of the draft’s most consequential questions: whether Johnson will last long enough for teams that still need help at cornerback. Reid wrote that Johnson is an ascending prospect who has drawn rave reviews during the predraft process and is now in position to be the third cornerback off the board.
The Cowboys’ interest fits the shape of their roster and their recent draft history. Reid said Dallas already has a safety projected at No. 12 in the same mock draft, and he tied that move to a secondary that gave up a league-high 46 completions of 25-plus yards last season and allowed 35 passing touchdowns, the second most in the NFL. Johnson, if he goes at No. 20, would give Dallas another young piece in a back end that clearly needs more than one fix.
Green Bay is watching from a different angle. The Packers do not have a first-round selection in 2026 after sending their pick to Dallas last August in the Micah Parsons trade, and that deal left them among the six clubs without a first-round choice. For Packers fans hoping Johnson might somehow slide to them, the projection is a reminder of how hard it is to chase a cornerback who has been climbing all spring.
Reid’s mock also gave Green Bay a second-round target, projecting the Packers to take Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton at No. 52 overall in Round 2. But the headline for Thursday was Johnson, whose rise has put him squarely into first-round range and into the path of a Cowboys team that appears likely to keep attacking its secondary until the draft board tells it to stop.