HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 192

HAND: 8 1/2"

ARM: 29 5/8"

WINGSPAN: 72"

40-YARD DASH:

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL:

BROAD:

POSITIVES

— Patient at the line of scrimmage. Shows good lateral movement skills in press coverage. Uses his length and hands well to control and get in phase with receivers.

— Shows very good vision and leverage as a zone defender. Does a good job of playing the quarterback's eyes to get a jump on the ball.

NEGATIVES

— Lacks the consistency of clean transitions. Hops into breaks at times and takes wasted steps when sinking his hips to transition.

— Physical play style can get him in trouble. Handsy defender who likes to work receivers downfield, which can lead to penalties.

2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 26 TOT, 5.5 TFL, 4.5 SK, 1 FF, 1 INT, 3 PD

NOTES

— Born Jan. 3, 2001

— 33 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— 2024 Senior Bowl Invite

— 2022 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (Media)

— Transferred from South Carolina to Penn State in 2021

OVERALL

Johnny Dixon played in the SEC for two years at South Carolina before transferring to Penn State ahead of the 2021 season. He started eight games in 2020 for the Gamecocks and became a full-time starter for the Nittany Lions in 2022. A long-limbed athlete, Dixon has some scheme versatility, combined with the run defense needed to provide good depth.

As a pass defender, Dixon looks to do best when in press man coverage. He excels at the line of scrimmage, where he shows off his lateral quickness and the ability to use his length and arms to disrupt receivers working down the field. He quickly gets in phase, where he can get his head around to locate the ball.

When in off coverage, Dixon does a great job of allowing routes to develop and positioning himself with the proper leverage. He's a short strider who may need a few steps to get going, but he can run well downfield. He struggles to transition at times due to below-average ability to sink his hips and inconsistent breaks. He does a very good job of locating the ball in the air but can get stuck on the backs of receivers, leading to limited pass breakups.

Against the run, Dixon has shown the aggressiveness needed to come up and support his teammates. He has the agility to beat defenders in space and the physicality to take on blocks. When in phase and close to the ball-carrier, he fights the best he can to control and beat blocks with his strength.

Dixon is a solid tackler who does a good job of taking the ball-carrier's legs out. Although he doesn't always wrap up with secure tackles, he generally does a good job of getting them down on the ground.

Dixon has the skill set to provide versatility and depth in the NFL, but he lacks the overall ability to come in and be a starter right away. He will need to play on special teams while he continues to work on rounding himself out.

GRADE: 6.2 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 145

POSITION RANK: CB18

PRO COMPARISON: D.J. White

Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

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