Cardinals’ Will Johnson has moved on and is motivated after NFL Draft fall

TEMPE — Second-round pick Will Johnson was certified mad following his skid down the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Arizona Cardinals rookie’s tone during his teleconference immediately after being selected said all you needed to know.

Two weeks later, the steam is no longer piping out of the sides of his ears as the young corner gets acclimated to his new surroundings. There’s bigger fish to fry.

His hunger, however, remains at an all-time high.

Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson said he’s moved on but motivated from his fall out of the first round of the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/oRKWuhtuKk

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 8, 2025

“I think I’ve been able to move on. I mean, it’s just motivation,” Johnson said Thursday. “I’m just happy to be here, happy to get to work and I know it’s going to be something special here, so I’m excited for it.”

“I mean that scheme is amazing. It’s a cornerback’s dream,” he added. “I’m excited to play in it. I’m excited to get comfortable with it and just learn more about it.”

Johnson’s skid in the draft was primarily tied to questions regarding his health.

Since the start of last season up to the NFL Draft, the cornerback dealt with shoulder, knee, toe, and hamstring issues.

But as Johnson said Thursday when asked specifically about the knee which reportedly was the reason for his draft fall, “it’s all good. It’s ready to go.”

For those (still) wondering, Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson said his knee is “all good and it’s ready to go.” pic.twitter.com/Q2VSvAfJlk

— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) May 8, 2025

Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson being viewed as NFL Draft steal

Despite all the injury talk, the cornerback is being looked at by many as one of the biggest steals of the draft.

And it’s not hard to see why.

Johnson and explosive plays went hand in hand at Michigan with the cornerback taking three interceptions to house across the past two seasons (18 games played) to go along with seven passes defensed.

Two of the three of those pick-sixes came in his injury-filled final season at Michigan where he only played six games.

Johnson fits the mold of a shutdown corner who can line up against an opponent’s best.

If the injuries are truly behind him like Johnson and the Cardinals believe they are, the payoff could be even better than the return Arizona is seeing on the gambles of corner Garrett Williams and receiver Michael Wilson. Both had their respective injury questions in past drafts but have since become integral to their sides of the football, especially Williams.

Johnson is already envisioning the possibilities.

“I think this defense allows me to use all my skillsets,” Johnson said. “Being able to play a variety of coverages and the way they play their DBs and their linebackers and just their whole scheme as a whole just allows me to make those plays you saw me make in college.”

Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson spoke on his strengths while on with @WolfandLuke earlier today.

Full interview: https://t.co/54W3FdcJuP pic.twitter.com/Ms1yrUBLpR

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) May 9, 2025

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