Former Texas A&M safety claims top spot in PFF positional rankings

Former Texas A&M Aggies standout safety Antonio Johnson broke out as a star in his third season in the NFL, earning the highest grade among safeties by Pro Football Focus at 86.9.

Johnson entered Texas A&M as an Army All-American and four-star recruit, ranking as the second-best safety and second-best player from Illinois in his class, per 247 Sports. He was mocked as a future second-round pick entering college, although his draft stock dipped over his three-year tenure as an Aggie.

Johnson earned All-SEC second-team honors in his final season as an Aggie, which is likely why Ethan Waugh, then assistant general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was “a little bit surprised” that Johnson slipped to 160th overall in the fifth round, where the Jaguars selected him.

Johnson was a developmental candidate that teams surely regret passing on, possessing an elite athletic frame with fundamental tackling skills to support. His only weakness entering the draft was his shaky coverage skills, which he rectified this past season.

The safety allowed a mere 202 receiving yards while grabbing five interceptions, which ranked second-most in 2025. This improvement in coverage “was the driving force for his lift off,” according to PFF, who nearly doubled his grade from a “lackluster” 43.8 in 2024 to 86.9 this past season.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Former Texas A&M safety claims top spot in PFF positional rankings