Eagles Hosting Nazeeh Johnson: A Special Teams Depth Move With Defensive Upside

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson is visiting the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday. The 27-year-old, a Chiefs seventh-round pick in 2022, is coming off a 2025 campaign that was effectively wiped out by a shoulder injury — he appeared in just two games and played exclusively on special teams. Philadelphia is evaluating him primarily in that role, though his 2024 tape suggests there's more on the table.

Johnson's 2024 season is the relevant data point here. In 16 games with Kansas City, he logged 48 percent of defensive snaps alongside 40 percent of special teams snaps — a respectable dual-role workload for a player at the back end of a roster. He brings 29 career appearances and six starts, which isn't a large sample but is enough to confirm he can hold his own in a rotational corner spot when called upon. The Eagles, fresh off a Super Bowl run, have the roster depth to be selective, but they also know that special teams margins matter in January.

Philadelphia's defensive backfield depth chart has seen movement this offseason, and adding a versatile, high-motor cornerback on what would almost certainly be a low-cost, incentive-laden deal costs the organization almost nothing. Johnson's shoulder health will be the central question in Monday's visit — if the medical checks out, this is a straightforward signing that fills a coverage and gunner role without displacing anyone already on the depth chart.

From a prop-betting standpoint, this is a negligible move in isolation — Johnson is not a starter, and his presence doesn't meaningfully alter Philadelphia's defensive scheme or personnel usage for established contributors. However, if the Eagles continue adding secondary depth through the spring, it does reinforce that the back end of their defense is being rebuilt for competition. That matters at the margins for opponent passing props: a tighter, deeper Eagles secondary has historically suppressed opposing receivers' yardage totals, particularly for WR2 and slot targets. If Johnson signs and Philadelphia adds further depth alongside him, lean toward the under on receiving yards for opposing slot receivers when Philly is the matchup.

For now, this is a visit — not a signing — and the impact is appropriately limited. Monitor the roster move wire. If Johnson lands on the 90-man roster this week, it's a minor signal worth noting when Eagles opponent props hit the board in August.