And nearly two months removed from the NFL Draft, the cornerback in Johnson is still motivated by his fall from the first to the second round.<\/p>\n
As for Simon, he was a fourth rounder (115th pick) and slots in the inside linebacker room after being a Buckeye team captain<\/a> in his fifth season in Columbus.<\/p>\n With mandatory minicamp in the books, both now have the chance to take inventory of how they grew and plan to grow in the coming months.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the biggest part is at MIKE linebacker (in the NFL) you\u2019re expected to know a lot of stuff and you\u2019re expected to be able to control the defense and have all the checks ready to go,\u201d Simon said. \u201cI\u2019ve been prepared these last couple years at linebacker in college, so that was a big jump.\u201d<\/p>\n For Johnson, learning the defensive playbook has been the biggest aspect of pro football he\u2019s had to adjust to.<\/p>\n \u201cThe terminology is a little different,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cIt\u2019s a lot more specific to where it could be the same call but (has) different wording in the way we call it.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked if he will listen to a play-call from an Ohio State guy in Simon, Johnson didn\u2019t hesitate in his response.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, man, we\u2019re teammates,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cSo, I\u2019m all on board with him.\u201d<\/p>\n Will Johnson being a Wolverine wasn\u2019t a sure thing<\/p>\n The 6-foot-2 defensive back from Detroit, Michigan almost didn\u2019t wear blue and yellow.<\/p>\n In fact, he said he was \u201csilently committed\u201d to the arch-rival school.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a moment where I was silently committed to Ohio State in my recruitment before we made coaching changes at Michigan,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t really a fan of that Don Brown era (2016-2020) of defense. \u2026 But they kept taking corners over there.\u201d<\/p>\n And not only did his decision to be a Wolverine reap a College Football Playoff title, but it resulted in a Michigan-themed tattoo<\/a> that took \u201ca few hours\u201d to complete on his right arm.<\/p>\n \u201cI said if we won a national championship, I would do it,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cIt\u2019s got the roses for the Rose Bowl, a portrait of my dad playing there, national championship at the block end, which means a lot to me and my family.\u201d<\/p>\n Simon, as a Jersey City kid on the other hand, said he took \u201ca big leap of faith\u201d in picking the Buckeyes and it helped that there were guys from his hometown already embedded in the program.<\/p>\n Of Javontae Jean-Baptiste (2018-2022), who currently plays for defensive end for the Washington Commanders and Jordan Fuller (2016-19), a safety recently picked up by the Atlanta Falcons, Simon said Fuller and him \u201creally connected.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe kind of helped me out with a little bit of transition even though he had already left,\u201d Simon said. \u201cHe was a great resource for me and I think I want(ed) to make a decision that I felt was the best for my future, and it really worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n What Cardinals veterans are taking Will Johnson, Cody Simon under their wings?<\/p>\n Besides the 38-year-old defensive end Calais Campbell<\/a> who Johnson simply described as \u201chuge,\u201d the two rookies have latched onto some other Arizona veterans.<\/p>\n Johnson, who was rated the third-best corner based on NFL\u2019s Next Gen Stats<\/a>, didn\u2019t have one particular name in mind but instead said \u201call the corners\u201d have been welcoming.<\/p>\n Simon, however, did have a name top of mind. The man \u2014 now his teammate \u2014 who announced his draft selection<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d say first and foremost Mack (Wilson Sr.),\u201d Simon said of the seventh-year inside linebacker. \u201cRight after (he announced my pick) he reached right out to me and he\u2019s been a really good vocal person. \u2026 He\u2019s just trying to help me get better. That\u2019s all I can really ask for because we\u2019re all just trying to get better at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n Simon joked Friday on Arizona Sports\u2019 Cardinals Corner that he won\u2019t be featured on the vocal Wilson\u2019s next song \u2014 whose \u201c18 Bars\u201d helped unveil Arizona\u2019s 2025 game schedule<\/a> \u2014 because he doesn\u2019t \u201cgot bars like he does.\u201d<\/p>\n Arizona heat something to get used to ahead of July camp<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be inside for that,\u201d Simon said when asked if he\u2019s ready for 110-plus-degree weather in the Valley.<\/p>\n But, in all seriousness, Simon and Johnson will be revving up for the Cardinals\u2019 season in late July with practices at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.<\/p>\n
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