Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft focuses on secondary
By Randy Gurzi
Round 2, Pick 52: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, Florida
Pittsburgh made a shocking pick in the 2018 NFL Draft when they took Terrell Edmunds at No. 28 overall. The Virginia Tech safety was expected to be a late day two pick, but Pittsburgh saw something they really liked.
The jury is still out on him, but that won’t stop them from targeting the position once again here as they take Chauncey Gardner-Johnson with their second-round selection. Gardner-Johnson has some inconsistent tape, as pointed out by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, but could end up filling the role of a deep safety for the Steelers.
"Big, athletic defensive back who requires tape study from 2017 and 2018 assess his optimal usage. Some teams will see him as a big slot defender who can blitz, support the run, handle zone duties or play man on big receivers and matchup tight ends. Others will see him as a Cover-1 high safety with the range and ball-tracking to take it away over the top. Gardner-Johnson is too often a step behind in his reads and reaction allowing completions that could be breakups. His versatility and talent could make him an early starter with a high-ceiling if he can put it all together."
In three seasons with the Gators, Gardner-Johnson had 161 tackles and nine interceptions. He put up his best season in 2018, registering 71 tackles and four picks — even taking two of them back for touchdowns.