PFF believes that Johnson will have more of an opportunity than first-round pick Walter Nolen.
The Arizona Cardinals have made a bunch of moves on defense this offseason, seeking to bolster a unit that was simply overmatched most of the time. They added free agents and six of their seven draft picks were used on the defensive side of the ball.
Their top pick in the draft was defensive lineman Walter Nolen, but he is not the Cardinals’ rookie to watch in 2025, according to PFF.
The rookie to watch this coming season is their second-round pick, cornerback Will Johnson.
The Cardinals likely never expected Johnson to fall to the second round, but they should be glad he did. He posted an elite 91.3 PFF coverage grade across three seasons at Michigan, ranking fifth among qualified Power Four cornerbacks. Meanwhile, Arizona’s outside cornerbacks ranked 26th in the NFL in PFF coverage grade last season. If he’s fully healthy, Johnson has a chance to make a serious impact as a rookie.
The door is wide open for him to have a huge role on the defense. Sean Muprhy-Bunting suffered an offseason knee injury that landed him on the non-football injury list, ending his season, so Johnson has a real shot at the starting lineup.
Nolen will play in a very talented group of defensive linemen, so large production from him is going to be tough because of all the talented veterans in the room.
Johnson has the clearest path to a large role.
The other rookie who could crack the lineup is fourth-round linebacker Cody Simon. But based on previous offseasons, it would appear that they are counting on new addition Akeem Davis-Gaither to win that job.
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