Calvin Johnson, Wide Receiver, Detroit Lions

(6-5, 235)

Age: 25

Experience: 4th season

College: Georgia Tech

Draft Status:  1st round (2nd pick) by the Detroit Lions 2007

You will be hard-pressed to find a wide receiver with the physical tools of Calvin Johnson.  He was a star since his high school playing days at Sandy Creak High in Georgia.  He was billed as a top 10 wide receiver in his high school class and a top 100 prospect in the national football scene.  That's why it was such a coupe by Georgia Tech to sign Johnson.

At Georgia Tech, Johnson majored in Building Construction, but he is best known for building quite the resume on the gridiron.  Johnson was first-team All-ACC as a freshman.  He was a semi-finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore.  He followed by winning the Biletnikoff Award in his junior season, as Johnson tied for second in the nation with 15 touchdown receptions. 

Johnson decided to bypass his senior season and wowed the scouts at the combine with a 4.35 40-yard dash and was selected second overall in the 2007 NFL draft, the highest ever for a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket football star.

In his rookie campaign, Johnson was solid with 48 receptions for 756 yards and four touchdowns, despite missing a game due to a back injury.  He then broke through the following season into the upper echelon with a career high 78 receptions, 1331 yards, and 12 receptions.  While those figures set all sorts of Lions records, Johnson also ranked well in the NFL, earning an alternate slot on the Pro Bowl squad.  He was fifth in receiving yards, tied for first in receiving touchdowns, and sixth in yards per reception (17.1). 

Johnson entered the 2009 season as a popular first to second round pick in most fantasy leagues. 

2009 RECAP:

The 2009 season was a bit of a downer for Calvin Johnson and the Lions.  Adapting to yet another new quarterback, Johnson managed just one touchdown through the first four games of the season.  He then suffered a knee injury midway through the week five contest against the Steelers and was forced to miss the next two games. 

When Johnson did return to the lineup nearly a month after injuring his knee, he turned his season around with a remarkable finish that totaled 632 yards and four touchdowns in the second half of the season.  His best performance was a thrilling win over the Browns, when he totaled a career-best 161 yards and a touchdown.  

Johnson finished the season just 16 yards shy of 1000, but the greatest concern for the Lions was that no other receiver racked up as many as 420 yards.  As a result, opposing defenses were able to focus on Johnson and limit his ability to take over a game.  This was an issue that the Lions would answer in the off-season through free agency and the NFL draft. 

2010 OUTLOOK:

The Lions have added depth to its offense this off-season, first drafting running back Jahvid Best to replace Kevin Smith in the starting lineup, then signing Nate Burleson to line up on the opposite side of Johnson, and acquiring tight end Tony Scheffler, another proven target.  The addition of these pieces, plus the further development of 2009 first pick overall Matthew Stafford should translate into better results from Johnson.

Of course, the most important factor in Johnson's game is his health.  Though the Lions top receiver has missed some practices because of an ankle injury, it is not considered severe and would not keep him out during the season.  Furthermore, Johnson has actually formed a rapport with Stafford this summer, and the two have already connected for an impressive touchdown during a preseason game.

At FFChamps.com we expect Johnson to return to his 2008 form now that he's healthy and the focal point of the Lions offense.  Stafford should connect with him on 80 occasions for 1250 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Overall, we see Johnson as the fourth most valuable wide receiver in the NFL.