INDIANAPOLIS -- Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson will fully participate in the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, then undergo surgery next week to repair a torn labrum that he played through after suffering the injury in September.
Dr. Peter Millett, a noted surgeon at the Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, wrote in a letter to all 32 teams last week that he recommended surgery and will perform the procedure on Johnson's right shoulder March 4. Typical return to full football activities is five months, Millett wrote -- a timeline that would have Johnson ready to start his rookie season.
A second-team All-American selection as a junior in 2019, Johnson entered the draft early and is projected as a potential first-round pick.
Reached by phone, one of Johnson's agents, Doug Hendrickson of Wasserman, said: "He wanted to play for his team last season and not let them down. The guy's tough as nails for fighting through that the whole year, and he wanted to compete at the combine at the highest level."
It's similar to the situation last year with another Hendrickson client, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, who fully participated at the combine, then underwent surgery for a torn labrum. Tillery was selected 28th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers, was ready for Week 1 and played 15 games as a rookie.
Johnson played in 39 games (29 starts) for the Utes, recording seven interceptions, 21 pass break-ups and 102 tackles (88 solo). He previously had surgery on his other shoulder after committing to Utah in the fall of 2016.
