Wolverine Digest

BREAKING: Michigan's Will Johnson falls out of first round in NFL Draft

Michigan's Will Johnson was viewed as a future Top 5 NFL Draft pick for much of his colligate career, but a series of injuries caused him to fall out of the first round.
Chris Breiler|
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Michigan's Will Johnson was viewed as a future first round NFL Draft pick from the moment he stepped foot on campus, but nagging injuries during the 2024 season caused his draft stock to plummet.

On Thursday night, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that a "knee issue" had concerned some NFL teams. That concern was enough for Johnson, a guy who was once viewed as a top 5 pick, to fall out of the first round altogether.

Johnson will now have to wait until Friday to find out his destination, as the NFL Draft is set to resume for Rounds 2-3.

Here's a look at some of his top accomplishments at the University of Michigan:

• Two-time All-American (first team, 2023; second team, 2024)


• Two-time All-Big Ten selection (consensus first team, coaches and media, 2023; second team, media, honorable mention, coaches, 2024)


• Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist (2024)


• Defensive MVP, 2023 National Championship Game


• Shared Defensive Freshman of the Year honors (2022)


• Three-time letter winner (2022-23-24)


• Appeared in 32 games with 22 starts at cornerback

• Set the new career record at Michigan with his third career interception returned 42-yards for a touchdown against USC (Sept. 21)

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.

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