{"id":37358,"date":"2025-05-09T21:21:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T21:21:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/37358\/"},"modified":"2025-05-09T21:21:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T21:21:18","slug":"will-johnsons-moved-on-and-motivated-after-draft-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/37358\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Johnson’s moved on and motivated after draft fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEMPE \u2014 Second-round pick Will Johnson was certified mad<\/a> following his skid down the 2025 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

The Arizona Cardinals rookie\u2019s tone during his teleconference immediately after being selected said all you needed to know.<\/p>\n

Two weeks later, the steam is no longer piping out of the sides of his ears as the young corner gets acclimated to his new surroundings. There\u2019s bigger fish to fry.<\/p>\n

His hunger, however, remains at an all-time high.<\/p>\n

Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson said he\u2019s moved on but motivated from his fall out of the first round of the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com\/oRKWuhtuKk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ve been able to move on. I mean, it\u2019s just motivation,\u201d Johnson said Thursday. \u201cI\u2019m just happy to be here, happy to get to work and I know it\u2019s going to be something special here, so I\u2019m excited for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean that scheme is amazing. It\u2019s a cornerback\u2019s dream,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019m excited to play in it. I\u2019m excited to get comfortable with it and just learn more about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s skid in the draft was primarily tied to questions regarding his health.<\/p>\n

Since the start of last season up to the NFL Draft, the cornerback dealt with shoulder, knee, toe, and hamstring issues.<\/p>\n

But as Johnson said Thursday when asked specifically about the knee which reportedly was the reason for his draft fall, \u201cit\u2019s all good. It\u2019s ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those (still) wondering, Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson said his knee is \u201call good and it\u2019s ready to go.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/Q2VSvAfJlk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson being viewed as NFL Draft steal<\/p>\n

Despite all the injury talk, the cornerback is being looked at by many as one of the biggest steals of the draft.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s not hard to see why.<\/p>\n

Johnson and explosive plays went hand in hand at Michigan with the cornerback taking three interceptions to house across the past two seasons (18 games played) to go along with seven passes defensed.<\/p>\n

Two of the three of those pick-sixes came in his injury-filled final season at Michigan where he only played six games.<\/p>\n

Johnson fits the mold of a shutdown corner who can line up against an opponent\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

If the injuries are truly behind him like Johnson and the Cardinals believe they are, the payoff could be even better than the return Arizona is seeing on the gambles of corner Garrett Williams and receiver Michael Wilson. Both had their respective injury questions in past drafts but have since become integral to their sides of the football, especially Williams.<\/p>\n

Johnson is already envisioning the possibilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this defense allows me to use all my skillsets,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cBeing able to play a variety of coverages and the way they play their DBs and their linebackers and just their whole scheme as a whole just allows me to make those plays you saw me make in college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson spoke on his strengths while on with @WolfandLuke<\/a> earlier today.<\/p>\n

Full interview: https:\/\/t.co\/54W3FdcJuP<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Ms1yrUBLpR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Arizona Sports (@AZSports) May 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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

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