Dj Johnson

Career StatsC-

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		31	62	0.5	—
2025		4	2	0.0	0
2024		14	44	0.5	0
2023		13

Season	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT	PD	Grade
2025		4	2	0.0	0	—	F F Bottom 5%
2024		14	44	0.5	0	—	D D Bottom 20%
2023		13	16	0.0	0	—	F F Bottom 5%

Grades reflect the player's performance in each season. Header grade shows the current season.

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The C Contract Value Index on D.J. Johnson's deal stems from how the cap hit lines up against on-field output. At $1.145M AAV on a one-year rookie scale contract, Johnson is priced as a depth linebacker—a fair valuation for a third-year player carrying a performance grade of C-, but one that becomes harder to defend given his 2025 season production of 2 tackles across 4 games. The linebacker market has evolved to reward consistent availability and tackle volume, and Johnson's limited counting stats provide little evidence he can deliver even replacement-level consistency at the position. At 27 years old and three seasons into his professional career, Johnson sits at a career inflection point where the rookie contract framework no longer shields him from the weight of his on-field performance; the media narrative—dominated by "draft bust" framing and treatment of his Commanders signing as a low-risk reclamation project rather than a calculated addition—reflects how thoroughly the football world has written off his early promise. Washington's recent roster activity, which has included signings at linebacker and across multiple positions, signals the organization views Johnson as depth insurance rather than a building block, a strategic positioning that aligns cleanly with the C grade. Unless Johnson produces a breakout performance in training camp or the preseason to rewrite his identity, the one-year structure keeps him in prove-it mode with minimal long-term cap commitment, which is both pragmatic roster management and a tacit acknowledgment that there is little upside being priced into this deal.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Dj's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Dj Johnson grades as a serviceable starter among NFL linebackers — a middle-of-the-pack player at the position. His strongest area is tackles for loss at 0.46 (above the NFL average of 0.27), ranking as above average for the position. Passes defended, at 0.07 compared to an NFL average of 0.18, is where he falls short relative to the position. His tackle volume indicates a run-stuffing, every-down role with limited pass-rush production.

How Dj Compares at the Position

Dj Johnson ranks 213th of 338 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Dj between Chandler Martin (C-) just ahead and Winston Reid (C-) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

The public narrative around D.J. Johnson has settled into a deeply unflattering place, and the F sentiment grade reflects just how little goodwill exists for the 27-year-old linebacker heading into 2026. The dominant media frame is unambiguous: Johnson carries the "draft bust" label out of Carolina like a scarlet letter, and his arrival in Washington has been covered not as a promising reclamation story but as a low-stakes flyer on a player the football world has largely written off. That framing is hard to dispute given his on-field track record — his performance grade sits at D- and his 2025 season produced just 2 tackles across 4 games, a counting-stat profile that gives his advocates virtually nothing to work with. Recent headlines lean into the bust narrative with little nuance, framing his Commanders signing as a "career lifeline" handed to a "massive draft flop," which signals that the press has little interest in treating his fresh start as a genuine second act. Washington has been active in roster-building this offseason, adding pieces across multiple positions, but none of those moves are centered around Johnson or suggest the organization views him as anything beyond depth-piece insurance. The bottom line is this: unless Johnson forces the conversation to change with a standout training camp or preseason, the weight of three underwhelming seasons as a third-round pick from the 2023 draft will continue to define his public identity — and right now, there is no visible momentum pushing that narrative in a better direction.