

The Arizona Cardinals have selected Michigan cornerback Will Johnson with the No. 47 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Johnson is a two-time All-American who just turned 22 in late March. He was named defensive MVP of the national championship game in 2024, helping lead Michigan to a 34-13 victory over Washington. In 32 games for the Wolverines, he had 68 tackles and nine interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Johnson was ranked No. 18 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
”A three-year starter at Michigan, Johnson was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Wink Martindale’s zone-heavy scheme (only 14.8 percent of his coverage snaps came in man-to-man in 2024). After an All-America sophomore season, including defensive MVP honors in the national title game, he put up-and-down play on his early 2024 tape before missing most of his final season because of injuries.
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“Johnson is comfortable in both press and off coverage, with the fluid athleticism and route recognition to seamlessly transition or attack the football. He isn’t shy about getting physical at the tops of routes and in pursuit, but his tackling mechanics and execution need work. Overall, Johnson is more “good” than “great” in terms of twitch and speed, but he has outstanding eyes, feet and coverage IQ to match and make plays on the football. He projects as a day one starting outside cornerback in the NFL.”
Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about Johnson in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“He is built like (Patrick) Surtain (II), like he is a beautiful athlete. I think he moves well, has really good ball skills, and you know he is very smart, but this year we thought he looked a little checked out on film. He wasn’t as physical. We knew we could get double moves on him, and it was open.”
PICK-SIX!!! 💪💪
Will Johnson making huge plays for @UMichFootball!!! 〽️ pic.twitter.com/Ff5QBLEa1w
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 21, 2024
Come back later for more analysis of Johnson.
(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
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