{"id":14643,"date":"2025-05-01T07:36:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T07:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/14643\/"},"modified":"2025-05-01T07:36:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T07:36:16","slug":"will-johnson-a-home-run-pick-for-cardinals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/14643\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Johnson ‘a home run’ pick for Cardinals"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

The Arizona Cardinals came out of last week with a top-rated NFL Draft class by most accounts.<\/a><\/p>\n

Second-round pick Will Johnson has a lot to do with that narrative after falling out of the first round and going No. 47 overall to Arizona.<\/p>\n

Already being dubbed as one of the biggest steals this draft<\/a>, ESPN\u2019s Field Yates doubled down on that thinking while on with Arizona Sports\u2019 Bickley & Marotta.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, it\u2019s a home run at that stage regardless of how things turn out, because he\u2019s just too talented of a player to slide any further than he did,\u201d Yates said Wednesday. \u201cWill really had great tape for 2.5 seasons at Michigan. He\u2019s got awesome size, great ball skills, very instinctual. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a guy that made huge plays in big moments at Michigan during their National Championship season, but I\u2019m not a doctor and each team\u2019s tolerance on where a guy is worth going based off of whatever he is dealing with is different. But I really have a hard time thinking that even if he\u2019s not a great player or even makes the roster and plays for you, to get a guy who has that much potential upside at that point in the draft is just too good to ignore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson heads to Arizona following three seasons at Michigan that included 2023\u2019s National Championship run.<\/p>\n

In each of those three seasons, he recorded at least two interceptions and three passes defensed.<\/p>\n

That includes his abbreviated final year at Michigan that was cut short due to shoulder issues and turf toe. Despite appearing in just six games last season, Johnson still reeled in a pair of interceptions (both returned for touchdowns).<\/p>\n

Michigan CB Will Johnson is heading to the Cardinals<\/p>\n

One of the best CB’s in the country, the Cards got an absolute STEAL pic.twitter.com\/d4tN6O8nBH<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 B\/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Even with the shortened season, Johnson still was honored as a Third Team All-American by The Associated Press and was named an All-Big-Ten honorable mention by conference coaches.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh-level competition, the guy has size, he\u2019s a very good athlete, the takeaway ability is pretty rare,\u201d assistant Cardinals GM Dave Sears said Saturday post-draft. \u201cHe can read routes, he can jump routes and then he can catch the ball and make plays with it. <\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, he\u2019s got all the pick sixes but that\u2019s a guy that can go toe-to-toe, play man coverage against big-time players and he can make plays that impact the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why did Will Johnson drop to the second round in the 2025 NFL Draft<\/p>\n

The biggest knock on Johnson comes from his injury history.<\/p>\n

On top of the shoulder and turf toe issues this past season, the cornerback didn\u2019t participate at the NFL Draft Combine due to a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n

NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport also reported<\/a> a knee issue that had red-flagged teams when evaluating Johnson.<\/p>\n

The cornerback, however, knows where his body is at.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re saying things about my knee and I haven\u2019t really dealt with it in two years,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cSo that\u2019s definitely frustrating, but it\u2019s all good. I\u2019m at where I\u2019m supposed to be and I\u2019m just happy to be a Cardinal now.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what I\u2019m dealing with and I know I\u2019m healthy,\u201d he added. \u201cI know how my body feels. I\u2019m just going to go out there and show that on Sundays and show everybody else what they missed out on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cardinals don\u2019t seem too concerned with where Johnson\u2019s at health-wise, either.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally did the same process we do with all the prospects,\u201d general manager Monti Ossenfort said after Day 2 of the draft. \u201cIt\u2019s an extensive process and ended up good with Will and excited to get him going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow @Tdrake4sports<\/a><\/p>\n

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