Isaiah Johnson (cornerback)

Isaiah Johnson (born December 20, 1995) is an American professional football cornerback DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Houston.

Isaiah Johnson

Johnson with the DC Defenders in 2025
No. 7 – DC Defenders
Position:	Cornerback
Personal information
Born:	(1995-12-20) December 20, 1995 (age 29) Bryan, Texas, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school:	James Earl Rudder (Bryan, Texas)
College:	Houston (2014–2018)
NFL draft:	2019: 4th round, 129th pick
Career history
Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders (2019–2020) Dallas Cowboys (2021)* Pittsburgh Steelers (2021)* Arizona Cardinals (2021)* Pittsburgh Steelers (2022)* DC Defenders (2023–present)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:	Active
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 15 Pass deflections: 5 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

Johnson attended James Earl Rudder High School in Bryan, Texas. He committed to the University of Houston to play college football.

College career

Johnson played at Houston from 2014 to 2018. He spent his first two years as a wide receiver before switching to cornerback prior to his junior year in 2017.^[1][2] During his two years as a receiver, he had 21 receptions for 208 yards.^[3] In his two years as a cornerback, he had 115 tackles and four interceptions.^[4][5]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight	Arm length	Hand span	40-yard dash	10-yard split	20-yard split	20-yard shuttle	Three-cone drill	Vertical jump	Broad jump	Bench press
6 ft 2+1⁄8 in (1.88 m)	208 lb (94 kg)	33 in (0.84 m)	8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m)	4.40 s	1.50 s	2.56 s	4.06 s	6.81 s	36.5 in (0.93 m)	11 ft 1 in (3.38 m)	9 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[6][7][8]

Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders

Johnson was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round (129th overall) of the 2019 NFL draft.^[9] He was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2019.^[10] He was designated for return and began practicing again on October 14.^[11] He was activated on November 4.^[12]

On November 8, 2020, Johnson forced two incomplete passes on the last two plays of the game to seal the team's 31–26 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.^[13] In Week 10 against the Denver Broncos, Johnson was ejected from the game after punching Broncos' wide receiver Tim Patrick after Patrick punched Johnson's teammate Johnathan Abram.^[14] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 18,^[15] and activated three days later.^[16] He was placed back on the COVID-19 list on December 19, 2020,^[17] and activated on December 23.^[18]

On August 31, 2021, Johnson was waived by the Raiders.^[19]

Dallas Cowboys

On October 5, 2021, Johnson was signed to the practice squad of the Dallas Cowboys.^[20] He was released on October 19.

Pittsburgh Steelers (first stint)

On December 14, 2021, Johnson was signed to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad.^[21] He was released on December 20.

Arizona Cardinals

On December 29, 2021, Johnson was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. He was released on January 4, 2022.^[22]

Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint)

On January 19, 2022, Johnson signed a reserve/future contract with the Steelers.^[23] He was waived/injured on May 10, 2022, and placed on injured reserve.^[24] He was released with an injury settlement on June 10, 2022.

DC Defenders

On April 5, 2023, Johnson signed with the DC Defenders of the XFL.^[25] He was placed on the team's reserve list on April 25, and activated on May 16.^[25] He was released on March 20, 2025,^[26] but was re-signed on April 29.^[27]