The Bears selected Johnson, an all-Pac-12 cornerback out of Utah, at No. 50 overall.
"I’m definitely forever grateful for the Bears to be that first team to believe in me and give me an opportunity to be able to provide for my family," Johnson said on a teleconference afterward.
The 6-foot, 193-pound Johnson was a second-team All-American in 2019 and posted seven interceptions over three seasons with the Utes. He clocked a 4.5 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Johnson comes with some health concern. He played with a torn right labrum for most of last season, according to reports. Johnson then underwent shoulder surgery to repair that labrum in March and has been recovering well. If healthy, he'll have a chance to compete for a starting cornerback spot opposite of Kyle Fuller, as the Bears have a vacancy there after releasing Prince Amukamara in February.
“Jaylon has just a really good combination of size, athleticism and awareness," Bears general manager Ryan Pace said. "He’s that physical, press corner that uses his size really well. He uses his strength to his advantage, to re-route receivers. Jaylon us a really intelligent player, plays the game with excellent instincts and awareness, you can see it in the way he plays. And Jaylon’s another guy with outstanding football makeup, really high football character. This is a guy who is driven and passionate, a lot of stories about his work ethic and just his professional approach to the game."
Johnson couldn't say whether questions about the shoulder injury led to his drop in the draft. Some draft analysts gave him a first-round grade.
"At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter because (other teams) didn't pick me and the Bears did," Johnson said. "So, clearly, my shoulder's not too big of an issue. So I mean, at this point, it's just about moving forward."