Michigan WR Cornelius Johnson standing out with 'next-level tools' at Shrine Bowl practices
Four Michigan Wolverines football players are set to compete for the Shrine Bowl’s East team — wide receiver Cornelius Johnson, cornerback Josh Wallace and offensive linemen Trente Jones and Karsen Barnhart. Johnson in particular has stood out in the two practices in the lead-up to the showcase.
The Draft Network’s Damian Parson reported that Johnson “had a good day at Shrine Bowl practice” Saturday, “displaying released, hand fighting, versatility, contested catching and route running.” CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt posted on social media that Johnson “has played like a nine-year vet this week at Shrine Bowl practices.”
The Shrine Bowl’s own Eric Galko, director of football operations and player personnel, said that Johnson was the only player to be “top five in max acceleration and deceleration (aka, elite in stop/start).” According to the Shrine Bowl’s performance tracker, the Michigan wideout ran 19.13 MPH, the 13th-fastest among offensive players.
ChargersWire’s Alex Katson named Johnson one of the top offensive standouts of Day 1 of practices.
“Players who show traits lacking on their in-season tape should always be rewarded on lists like these, and Johnson displayed a much fuller skillset as a receiver than Michigan’s offense allowed him to during his college career,” Katson wrote of the Michigan receiver. “Used primarily as a vertical threat in the Wolverines’ system, Johnson showed ample separation ability on short and intermediate routes on Saturday while still stacking defensive backs on vertical routes the way scouts saw him do on a weekly basis in Ann Arbor.”
“The senior wideout for the national champion Wolverines is physically impressive, with a long frame and reliable hands,” Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline wrote.
“He caught everything thrown his way on Saturday, and his route running was better than anyone expected. On several occasions, Johnson beat smaller but quicker defensive backs through his routes and looked unstoppable. He’s a bit of a long strider, but Johnson proved that he has next-level tools.”
Pro Football Network tabbed Johnson as one of its top risers after Day 1 of practice.
“Early on in these practices, you tend to see wide receivers get the best of their cornerback counterparts, and in the case of Cornelius Johnson and some of these other pass catchers, it rang true on Saturday,” the site’s Tony Catalina wrote. “Johnson had an impressive day in the 1-on-1 work against defensive backs, including a nice deep-shot touchdown reception.
“That success transitioned into the 7-on-7 work as well, with Johnson showing his ability to make some nice receptions while continuing to show he can go snatch the football in the way we got used to seeing him do it on Saturdays. It’s only Day 1, and stacking good days will be paramount, but as far as the body of work in one practice goes, Johnson helped his case.”
AtoZSports’ James Foster said that Johnson was one of the top performers in one-on-one reps.
Here are two more clips of Johnson.
Johnson and Wallace spent some time going against each other during practice.
Barnhart, meanwhile, “dominated his reps versus interior defensive linemen,” according to Dallas Cowboys host Kyle Youmans.
Apparently, though, Cincinanti defensive tackle Jowon Briggs gave both Barnhart and Jones some trouble.
Former Michigan EDGE Eyabi Okie, who transferred to Charlotte ahead of the 2023 season, is a “toolsy player with a lot of upside/potential,” catching the eye of The Draft Wire’s Gavino Borquez.
The NFL Network will carry the Shrine Bowl at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 1.
