How Cardinals Added Excellence with Surprise Draft Slide

An unfortunate knee injury to Michigan CB Will Johnson might have been a blessing in disguise for the Arizona Cardinals, as they spent their second-round pick on the star DB.

Johnson has been frequently mocked to the Cardinals for some time now, but with most (if not all) assuming he'd be their focus in the first round, at pick 16.

Johnson does have a medical red flag — a knee injury that has been described as a threat to the CB's longevity in the NFL. Obviously, that's something to monitor, and the primary factor that allowed him to slide all the way to the second round.

But with that said, Arizona appears comfortable with Johnson's medicals, and he's noted that he hasn't had issue with it in two years.

With that in mind, this pick could have tentatively been the steal of the draft. Johnson was considered one of two truly elite CB prospects, and brings a refined, smooth presence to the Cardinals' secondary.

Arizona's defense has already undergone much of an overhaul along the defensive line, but with plenty of notable growth from their young DBs. Johnson is a developed-enough prospect to slide in and start immediately, and is elite in zone coverage — Arizona's primary look defensively.

Johnson had nine interceptions in three years at Michigan, and took home a National Championship trophy in 2023. He's big for a CB, coming in at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, but has the smoothness and agility of a smaller DB.

As an athlete, there's no concern. As a person, he fits the type of player Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort look for in a Cardinal. On top of that, he has a versatile edge, and can fill in both outside and in the slot.

He might not be the fastest player on the field, but is an immediate CB1-level player with excellent ball instincts. He's not overly aggressive or handsy, but is able to take the ball away — something the Cardinals' DBs sorely lacked in 2024.

The Cardinals got the guy that was perhaps the perfect fit all along, but they only had to spend a second-round pick on him, and avoided having to trade up.

This seems like almost too good to be true, barring any complications that could potentially arise as a result of Johnson's knee.

But the Cardinals and Johnson himself seem confident that he can contribute to a budding defense, with a head coach known for his development of DBs. Arizona is getting a pissed-off, elite-level player in their secondary, the same year that their last one retired a Cardinal.

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