John Johnson LB - Saints Madden Career 1992-1996 - Peak 73 OVR

John Johnson was a second-round pick out of Clemson in 1991, a 6-foot-3 linebacker who arrived in San Francisco in the window between championships, too late for the 1989 title and gone before the 1994 one. He spent three seasons with the 49ers and got his real chance in 1993, starting twelve games and putting up 46 tackles and three forced fumbles, his one season as a front-line player.

Madden caught him early and then watched him drift. His best card was his first, a 73 for the 1991 season as a rookie, which was generous for a player still on the fringe of the roster. From there the grade slid with his career: a 70 after he moved on to Cincinnati, a 52 by the time he landed in New Orleans in 1995. Three teams in five years, and a rating that fell at every stop.

Johnson finished with 46 games across five seasons and no ring, one of the many useful linebackers who pass through a great franchise without leaving a mark on its trophy case. The 73 on his rookie card was the high point. The game, like the league, gradually stopped noticing him.