Former Michigan Wolverine star already proving to be a massive steal after bizarre NFL Draft process and some constant overthink

Former Michigan star Will Johnson has already become a massive steal for the Arizona Cardinals

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Cardinals cornerback Will Johnson (0) defends wide out Xavier Weaver (89) during Cardinals training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, on July 31, 2025.

There may not have been a more bizarre 2025 NFL Draft process than the one that former Michigan All-American cornerback Will Johnson went through. Widely considered to be a top-five overall player in the class going into his final year with the Wolverines, Johnson suffered through injury the majority of the season. It created some massive overthink from the draft community. 

Without the ability to compete in the All-Star circuit or test at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson didn’t get an opportunity to showcase the type of talent that once made him so highly sought after. There was also a medical issue that popped up surrounding Johnson’s knee, causing him to drastically fall during the draft. The Arizona Cardinals ended up selecting the former Wolverine star with the 47th overall selection in the second round. 

The draft process ended up outweighing the entirety of Johnson’s tremendous career in Ann Arbor. People decided to ignore the 68 total tackles, nine interceptions, and ten pass breakups he recorded in three seasons. The evaluators also chose to discount multiple All-American nods and a National Championship victory. They chose to ignore the talent the 6-2, 200-pound cover man brought to the table. 

It is only one game so far, but Johnson is already proving the doubters wrong. During his week one matchup against the New Orleans Saints, Johnson managed to collect a 90.2 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, breaking up three passes and allowing just four receptions for 32 yards. He was awesome throughout that contest. 

The Cardinals have seemingly been a team that has needed more outside cornerback help forever, and they have certainly found it with Johnson. Finding a potential top cornerback that deep into the second round is insane value, especially at a position of such high importance. You can expect Johnson to be an important ingredient for head coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense for a long time. 

Despite Johnson being a bigger cornerback, he has some absurd fluidity for his size. The Michigan star is able to change direction with such ease and minimal effort. That allows him to match up with all types of different body types and play styles at wide receiver. 

The biggest concerns around Johnson from an on-field perspective centered around long speed that was described as ordinary. Coach Gannon loves to play a lot of zone and off man coverage, which should help to ease any of those concerns, although you didn’t see a lack of speed during the week one matchup. Johnson’s ability to also play press makes him a very scheme diverse player who can do a lot of different things.

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