Had a season-ending turf toe injury not limited Will Johnson to just six games during his junior season at Michigan, it’s possible, if not likely, that the two-time All-American would’ve been the first defensive back off the board during the 2025 NFL Draft. But as it worked out, the Arizona Cardinals were able to snag the two-time Johnson with the 47th pick, and now they might have a star on their hands.
As Johnson slid out of the 1st Round, it was curious that a player with his size, skill and CV — again, he’s a two-time All-American, as well as the Defensive MVP of the 2024 CFP National Championship Game — wasn’t taken earlier. Sure, he couldn’t participate in the NFL Combine or a Pro Day, but check the tape and you’ll see someone that’s built for the NFL.
Now, as the Cardinals are a week into training camp, Johnson is getting the chance to shine. With Starling Thomas V out for the year with a torn ACL, the second starting spot alongside Max Melton may end up belonging to the rookie, especially when he’s got his veteran teammates raving about him on a regular basis.
“He’s snapping. Will’s everything everybody thinks he would be,” Melton said earlier in the week, per Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. “He’s lengthy, he’s fast, quick. … You could tell like it seems like he’s been here for a while now.”
In addition to Melton, longtime starting safety Budda Baker likes what he sees from his newest teammate as well.
“You got guys like Will who’s been playing football at a high level at Michigan and has come here and hasn’t really lost his step,” Baker said on July 31. “It’s definitely exciting to have young guys come in here and understand football and understand the things that I can tell him that would ultimately be helping him out.”
Will Johnson Impressing Since Arriving in Arizona
It didn’t take long for members of the Cardinals organization to realize they had stolen one of the most talented players in the 2025 NFL Draft class when they selected Will Johnson in the 2nd Round. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon shared that when Arizona made the selection, numerous defensive coordinators around the league reached out to commend him for the pick.
“When we picked him, literally like eight defensive coordinators texted me like ‘Oh my God!’ Like ‘number one corner on the board!’ Gannon said earlier this offseason.
On the opposite side of the ball, Cardinals pass-catchers are taking note of what Johnson has been bringing to the table too.
“He looks focused,” Wilson said of Johnson back in June, according to Jess Root of Cardinals Wire. “When certain guys step in a locker room or step on a field, you can tell if someone’s dead serious about football. And I think he’s one of those guys that lives, breathes, and dies football.”
Fellow Rookie Walter Nolen III Recovering From Injury
The Cardinals went heavy on defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting Walter Nolen III from Ole Miss in the 1st Round. A game-wrecking interior defender, Nolen too was on the receiving end of compliments from veteran teammates until he was sidelined by a calf injury that landed him on the PUP List.
Although there is no official timetable for Nolen’s return to the field, there’s hope that he could be back in the mix before Arizona kicks off the regular season in New Orleans on September 7th. During an off-day earlier this week spent at Maryvale High School, Nolen shared that he’s been progressing well in his recovery.
In time, the Cardinals expect that Nolen and Johnson will be two of the leaders of this defense. But if that time comes in 2025, Arizona could be more than just frisky in the NFC West.
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