The Michigan Wolverines have been a defensive powerhouse over the last few seasons, churning several early draft picks into the NFL. Next year looks to be no exception even after the coaching regime change in Ann Arbor, and cornerback Will Johnson looks to lead the charge.
A 6-foot-2, 202-pound Detroit-area native, Johnson has proven himself to be one of the most talented and athletically gifted cornerbacks in college football already. He started as a freshman and quickly proved his playmaking abilities with three INTs. Johnson built on that with a very impressive 2023 college season, displaying skills that have him projected as a potential top-10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It’s easy to see why Johnson is so highly regarded when watching his game film. I’ve also had the chance to see him play in person twice (Rutgers in ’23 and Illinois in ’22), and those live viewings are equally impressive.
The first thing that stands out with Johnson is his size. He looks bigger than the already big 6-2/202 listing, both length and weight. Johnson is very muscular and well-proportioned. Just as importantly for football purposes, he understands how to move fluidly and seamlessly as a taller outside cornerback.
Having said that, there are times when Johnson gets too upright in coverage. It’s most noticeable in the transition from backpedal to breaking forward. He can also get too tall and a little clunky when trying to make a tackle out of transitions. That’s normal for a long CB; it’s only noteworthy that Johnson doesn’t break the mold there.
Michigan didn’t ask him to jam a lot in the games I watched. He’s most often playing off-man and zone concepts. In the times he did press, notably against 2024 No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Ohio State game, Johnson had a nice initial jam with the hands and then relied on his speed and fluid feet to go into reactionary mode. Some NFL defenses will want him to do better sustaining the jam and proactively steering the wideout than what Johnson has shown thus far.
Befitting a former high school wide receiver, Johnson has a “my ball” mentality with the pigskin flying. He’s got great hands and body control with the ball in the air. His click-and-close ability on quick-hitting routes is definitely impressive, and he’s often going for the ball as instantly as the intended target. Route anticipation is good-not-great in man coverage but has shown development, and that hopefully continues in the 2024 college season.
One thing to watch from Johnson at Michigan this coming season is how well he adapts to new running mates in the secondary. He played next to second-rounder Mike Sainristil in the slot a lot, and Sainristil was one of the smartest and most reliable slot CBs in recent college football memory. Johnson himself did get some slot work, but he’ll need to improve his tackling approach and containment reliability to kick inside in the NFL. He’s a much better outside corner prospect with his length, mentality and long speed.
Johnson’s playmaking mindset and proven ability to make plays on the ball–at his size and speed–make him a premium CB prospect. If he continues to grow his game and smooth over some areas of concern, Johnson should be prominent in the conversation for the first cornerback to come off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.