Emany Johnson's rise from tragedy to shot at Cowboys roster worth rooting for

Emany Johnson played his collegiate ball at Nevada and has an inspiring journey to the NFL. Despite facing personal tragedies, Johnson’s resilience and determination led to him signing with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent.

Johnson developed a passion for football through the influence of his father, a former college football safety and receiver, and grandfather. His journey to the NFL was marked by devastation, including the loss of both his best friend and dad within a short time period. Despite facing personal misfortune, Johnson’s unyielding dedication to his family and relentless work ethic propelled him toward success. As he strides onto the gridiron, he holds close the cherished memories of those who shaped him, determined to leave an indelible mark that pays homage to their enduring legacy.

Background

Johnson was raised in the Bay Area, California. He showcased his athletic prowess at Hercules High, initially excelling in baseball. However, when colleges began recruiting Johnson for football, his attention shifted. Over three consecutive years, Johnson earned All-League honors as both a receiver and a defensive back.

Johnson’s talent didn’t go unnoticed, as he emerged as a three-star recruit with immense potential. He would go on to play at Nevada for all six years of his collegiate football journey, since 2018.

Physical Profile

Johnson’s test scores and measurements at the Nevada pro day revealed a prototypical athletic profile. Standing at 6-foot, 205 pounds, an arm length of 31 1/4 inches, he exhibits a prototypical safety build. Johnson demonstrated average speed in the 40-yard dash, a solid vertical of 38 inches and and broad jump of 125 inches, respectively, indicate NFL-level athleticism. In agility drills, Daxon’s 3-cone drill time, 6.99 seconds, and his 20-yard shuttle time, 4.28 seconds, were also par for the position.

College Statistics

Complete college statistics can be found here.

Film Study

Film Study: Kansas (2023) San Diego State (2023) Fresno State (2023) USC (2023) Texas State (2023)

Best Game: Fresno State

Worst Game: Texas State (2023)

Strengths

Johnson is a menace in run support. He’s fearless in his pursuit of the football. Quality size for a defensive back, Johnson looks to impose his will on the field. He’s a twitched-up athlete, capable of recovering and exploding towards the ball in coverage. Johnson has shown capable of making plays on the ball as a cover man, evidenced by two interceptions in the 2023 Fresno State game. That said, his reactivity and willingness are his saving graces, as he is still raw from a mental processing and fundamental standpoint in coverage.

Weaknesses

Johnson has some maturing to do as a cover man. He bounced around the secondary a bit before settling in to his ideal role as a run-stuffing strong safety. Sticky is not a word used to describe Johnson in coverage thus far. Anticipation and understanding of route concepts are a work in progress. Although Johnson possesses NFL size and speed, he’s not elite in either of those categories and lacks elite range when playing as a center fielder.

Projection

The Cowboys’ safety room may appear a bit crowded on paper, currently headed by Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson. Hooker, 28, is under contract through the 2026 season and Wilson, 27, through 2025, but the Cowboys have potential outs following 2024.

Others in the room include a number of players in the final year of their rookie contracts; Israel Mukuamu, Juanyeh Thomas, and Markquese Bell. Mukuamu, a former 2021 6th round pick, has contributed well as a rotational back up and Thomas emerged as an explosive play maker when his number was called in the 2023 season.

Bell, has had a unique experience, as he convert from safety to linebacker mid-season in 2023, playing the majority of last season’s games as the starting weak-side linebacker.

Sheldrick Redwine made the Cowboys practice squad last year, although he’s taken preseason reps at both cornerback and safety and is listed as a defensive back on the team’s roster. Other than that, fellow undrafted free agent Julius Wood will compete for a roster spot in Oxnard, CA at training camp.

Johnson brings physicality and quality tackling in run support to the safety room, a core principle of Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s defense and a big area of improvement for the 2024 Dallas Cowboys.

In his rookie season, Johnson would be blessed to see his name on the 53-man roster. That said, if he were to stick around on the practice squad and not get picked up off waivers then he may find himself in a position of great opportunity come the 2025 season.

Was this article helpful?

Yes