Predicting where each of the top-30 NFL free agents will sign

13. Jaylon Johnson
Previous Team: Chicago Bears
Future Team: Detroit Lions

We love a good petty rivalry, and this one is going to sting very badly for Chicago Bears fans. Jaylon Johnson broke out last season, posting a career-high four interceptions and making his first Pro Bowl team. He’s also 24 years old, which is remarkably young for a player who has been in the league for four years already. That type of mileage is desirable to other franchises, and it could drive Johnson’s price higher and higher.

Guess who can swoop in and give Johnson everything he wants and more. The NFC North champs were the Detroit Lions in 2023. They have a ton of money to spend, and they desperately need cornerback help. Johnson could grow with his former team’s rival, building on Dan Campbell’s successful defense. 

One of Johnson’s four interceptions came against this very Lions team. He read Jared Goff on a crucial fourth-down play that ended a Lions drive in Bears territory in the second quarter. With the Bears up 10-0 at the time, this made it really hard for the Lions to recover. 

This was in December, so the play is clear in the Lions staff’s mind. He’s a former second-round pick who can keep getting better. The Lions have money, but they want to spend it wisely. Investing in a young cornerback like Johnson who broke out at the right time might be money well spent.