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Ever since Michigan football star Will Johnson stepped on the field for the Wolverines, he looked like a first-round pick. That didn't change throughout his career. Heading into the 2024 season, many had him being selected in the top 10. Now, with the 2025 NFL Draft just one day away, Johnson is starting to slip in mock drafts. He is still a first-round pick in many, but he has fallen down to round two in some as well.
NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah released a mock draft on Wednesday, and he no longer has Will Johnson going in the first round. He also released his list of top-150 NFL Draft prospects, and he has Johnson at #16.
“Johnson is a big cornerback with easy/fluid movement skills and excellent instincts,” Jeremiah said of Johnson. “He played outside and in the slot at Michigan. In off coverage, he’s very smooth and relaxed. He doesn’t panic, settles on routes and can find/play the ball. He had an impressive flat-footed read against USC that he turned into a pick-six. He has the size/length to press and match up with bigger wideouts.”
Johnson was one of the best players in college football while he played for the Michigan football team. It's as simple as that. However, that doesn't mean that he doesn't have flaws. Johnson isn't perfect, and these problems could be exploited more at the next level.
“The two issues that showed up in his 2024 game tape were inconsistency as a support player against the run and questions about his deep speed,” Jeremiah continued. “He wasn’t ultra-aggressive to attack ball-carriers and he was run over multiple times. He did not alleviate any concerns about his speed by declining to run a 40-yard dash at the combine and his workout this spring. Overall, Johnson won't be a fit for man-heavy teams, but he will be attractive for squads that play a lot of zone coverage.”
Will Johnson ended up missing most of the Michigan season due to an injury. A lot of people wondered how severe the injury truly was as he went out once it was pretty clear that the Wolverines weren't going to make another College Football Playoff run. Many players that are NFL bound decide to sit out when their team doesn't have postseason hopes to avoid injury.
Johnson is doing a lot better now, but he still decided not to run the 40-yard dash at the combine. There are clearly some concerns about him as he continues to drop in mock drafts, and there is a chance that Johnson won't hear his name called until Friday.
