Will NFL Teams Regret Passing On Will Johnson?

The Arizona Cardinals may have gotten a steal when they selected former Michigan cornerback Will Johnson during the second round (No. 47 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson was excellent in Sunday's Week 1 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Teams are going to regret letting Johnson slip to the second round. The Saints targeted Johnson on seven occasions. The ex-Wolverines standout allowed just four completions for 32 yards and recorded three pass breakups, ESPN's Field Yates noted.

Johnson's football IQ was easily identifiable throughout the pre-draft process. On this 2nd-and-10, the Saints brought star receiver Chris Olave in motion for a swing pass. Johnson sniffed it out pre-snap and delivered this crunching hit behind the line of scrimmage.

This was a little Michigan-Ohio State crime. It felt personal!

Olave is the Saints' go-to receiver. He was targeted once with Johnson in coverage. It resulted in a pass breakup for Johnson.

Johnson also had an interception negated by a defensive penalty by one of his teammates, committed nowhere near the play. It was a Spencer Rattler deep ball intended for speedy playmaker Rashid Shaheed. Johnson essentially ran the route for Shaheed and came up with an over-the-shoulder takeaway. It was encouraging, despite it not counting.

Johnson totaled 38 snaps in coverage. Jonathan Gannon is a defensive-minded head coach. He already has full faith in Johnson, who functioned as a starter opposite Max Melton at boundary corner. Garrett Williams was the nickel. It took Johnson no time at all to establish himself as an every-down starter in Gannon's defensive backfield.

Sunday’s victory highlighted an overall impressive performance by the Cardinals' defense. Their 13 points allowed is tied for sixth-fewest in Week 1 heading into Monday Night Football. Johnson contributed to a total team effort.

Johnson was once considered a top-10 prospect. The Detroit native ultimately slid into the second round due to injury concerns after missing the majority of his junior season, in addition to being unable to athletically perform at the NFL Combine or at Michigan’s Pro Day. It already feels like NFL general managers overthought the process.

Johnson looked like a potential No. 1 lockdown-caliber cornerback prospect on tape. The National Championship winner routinely blanketed opposing receivers in college, utilizing instincts, athleticism, and coverage ability to eliminate one half of the field. On Sunday, we saw that same technical refinement, closing burst, and ballhawking ability that made Johnson so good at Michigan.

The Cardinals appear to be underrated threats to compete for the NFC West title. They roster a slew of young players who are contributing both offensively and defensively. An emerging talent like Johnson appears capable of raising their ceiling in 2025.

Johnson was one of the elite prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. NFL GMs allowed questions about his health and athletic ability to muddy their pre-draft scouting report on a shutdown corner. It already looks like a foolish error, with Johnson having performed like a second-round steal throughout the Cardinals' Week 1 victory.