Can Will Johnson help boost the Arizona Cardinals' secondary in 2025 and beyond?
Selected with the No. 47 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the former Michigan Wolverines star cornerback is looking to make the rest of the NFL pay for allowing him to slide to Day 2. After selecting Walter Nolen in the first round, the Cardinals are hoping they have a couple of young defenders who can complement the offense.
A projected top 10 pick prior to the draft, Johnson’s only concerns are knee issues that he suffered in the past. But, if healthy, Johnson has a big chance to give the Cardinals what they have been looking for the past few seasons – a lockdown corner.
Will Johnson has much to prove in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals
After setting a Michigan school record for Pick-6’s in his college career, Johnson will be out to prove he can be just as impactful in the NFL. In selecting each team’s pivotal rookie in 2025, NFL.com’s Dan Parr shied away from Nolen and went with Johnson based on the team’s previous secondary issues.
He writes:
“Johnson, once considered a top-10 prospect, fell to Arizona in the middle of Round 2 due to concerns about the long-term health of his knee. The Cardinals are trying to win now, though, and they've had an awful lot of trouble finding stability at outside cornerback in recent years. If Johnson can lock down one of those spots, that would be a huge lift to Jonathan Gannon’s defense, which has the upside to be one of the league’s better units.”
NFL Mocks agrees!
Nolen is going to be a force along the Cardinals’ defensive line, but when looking at the team’s secondary, they are really depending on young players to step up and take charge. That includes 2024 second-round pick Max Melton who is ready to make jump in Year 2 and another rookie in Denzel Burke who was a multiple year starter for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
To support Parr's assessment, it really comes down to Johnson though. As a cornerback with great size, Johnson not only plays the game with patience, but he also displays an effectiveness and versatility in coverages that should upgrade the Cardinals’ secondary as a unit. His quick breaks on the ball and anticipation of routes could just elevate him to that CB1 role sooner rather than later.
In all, keep an eye on Will Johnson in the NFC West. If he pops, watch out for the Arizona Cardinals.