Leon Johnson III worked his way from D3 George Fox to the Power 5 and Oklahoma State before landing with the Chargers.
Leon Johnson III is a Washington native, hailing from the town of Bothell. He played his prep career at Bothell High School as a standout receiver who also had a knack for using his 6’5 length to block a notable amount of PATs. As a senior, Johnson caught just 24 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns, but also tacked on five blocked extra points. Not the most-productive prospect but still quite intriguing, nonetheless.
With no major college offers, Johnson chose to attend George Fox University in the state of Oregon. He made an immediate impact with the team as a freshman, leading them in receptons (25), receiving yards (450), and receiving touchdowns (six) during the 2019 season. His efforts earned him All-Northwest Conference honorable mention accolades.
The pandemic took the school’s 2020 season away from them but Johnson was right back at it in 2021. He set new career highs with 30 receptions and 540 yards to go with three more scores.
His final season with the Bruins in 2022 was truly a breakout of breakouts. Johnson rewrote the record book, finishing the season with 55 receptions for 1,156 yards and 14 touchdowns. Among the program records to be shattered included all-purpose yards (1,205), single-game receiving yards (174), receptions (11), and touchdowns (three).
For his final year of eligibility, Johnson set his sights on the Power 5, transferring all the way up to the Big 12 with Oklahoma State. The initial plan for Johnson was to redshirt so he could get acclimated to the jump in competition, but he elected to burn it when injuries took their toll on the wide receiver room. With 10 games remaining, Johnson stepped onto the field for the Cowboys, earning seven starts down the final stretch. He ended the year third on the team with 33 receptions and 549 receiving yards.
Not sure I’ve seen a player improve in ~7 months time as much as Leon Johnson III. I remember thinking back in April they may have just blown a scholarship as he’ll never see the field. I love when these guys make me look like an idiot. pic.twitter.com/luh5hjVxvc
— Adam Lunt (@AdamLunt817) November 27, 2023
Following the 2024 NFL Draft, Johnson signed a UDFA contract with the Chargers.
Basic Info
Height: 6’5
Weight: 215
College: George Fox/Oklahoma State
Experience: Rookie
Years with team: Zero
Contract Status
“Leon Johnson signed a 3 year , $2,845,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including $15,000 signing bonus, $40,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $948,333. In 2024, Johnson will earn a base salary of $795,000 and a signing bonus of $15,000, while carrying a cap hit of $800,000 and a dead cap value of $40,000.” – Spotrac.com
The Good
Ran a 4.50 in the 40 during the Cowboys’ pro day at 207 pounds. Posted an impressive 10’10 in the broad jump with a 35-inch vertical.
Offers excellent size for the position with adequate athleticism to go with it.
Cannot discount a work ethic that took a player from Division III football all the way up to bring a contributor at the Power 5 level.
Was simply bigger and better than most of the guys he was playing against at George Fox. Won most of the time by out-leaping at the catch point and breaking the initial tackle attempt.
Had an amazing diving catch while being tackled during the Bedlam game against Oklahoma in 2023.
The Bad
Does not look like he was asked to run a full route tree while at George Fox but that’s understandable when blindly throwing it up to him down the field was the most effective play in the book.
Lanky build. Not sure how well he’d hold up as a run blocker in Greg Roman’s offense.
A 4.50 40 is not the worst for a player his size but he’ll have to rely on winning with physicality over speed in the NFL and I’m not sure he’s up to that challenge less than two years removed from a D3 program.
Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2024?
The Chargers may have a shallow wide receiver room but there’s enough bodies in there that had a draft pick invested in them that it’s tough to see any of the UDFA wideouts push through to the final roster. Some of the other undrafted receivers may have better resumes in terms of the school they played for, but Johnson has the better production and still put up admirable numbers for a massive transfer jump who didn’t play the entire season. I think I like Johnson’s potential to land on the practice squad more than other receivers as he just seems more of Harbaugh guy to me. I could be wrong, but I’m sticking a small flag here to say he’s my favorite UDFA receiver to have an impact in some way.
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