CHAMPAIGN, IL - OCTOBER 19: Michigan Wolverines Defensive Back Will Johnson (2) defends during the college football game between the Michigan Wolverines and the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 19, 2024, at Memorial Stadium, in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan Cornerback Will Johnson Regressed in 2024

January 18, 2025 | Daniel Kelly | Articles

Reading Time: 3 minutes

ANN ARBOR, MI – SEPTEMBER 21: Michigan Wolverines defensive back Will Johnson (2) lines up on defense during a college football game against the USC Trojans on September 21, 2024 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is a BIG REPUTATION prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft.

CBS, The Athletic, Pro Football Network, Draft Kings, NBC Sports, SI, Fox Sports, Yahoo, Pro Football Focus, Draftwire, USA Today, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, The Ringer, and the Draft Network all have Johnson as a first-rounder (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

Johnson undoubtedly is one of the toughest evaluations I’ve done. That’s because he flashed the raw high-level speed and athleticism that it takes while playing on Michigan’s ‘bend, but don’t break’ defense.

It came down to determining his mindset based on what he put on film.

Understanding what Johnson IS

Johnson played a lot of off-man and zone coverage for the Wolverines in 2024. Off-man is when the corner lines up a few yards off a wide receiver pre-snap and zone coverage is when a corner is assigned to cover a specific area of the field, as opposed to a specific receiver.

Johnson looked “best” in off-man coverage sitting back and keeping the game in front of him while reading the quarterback’s eyes.

He had two interceptions for touchdowns this season. This is one of them.

Michigan cornerback #2 Will Johnson with the pick 6 vs. USC (2024) pic.twitter.com/JtAWMPCNPa
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) January 13, 2025

Understanding what Johnson is NOT

He is not a press-man corner. Press-man coverage is the most aggressive form of pass coverage for a cornerback, in which the cornerback comes right up on a receiver pre-snap and shadows him in coverage.

Two things confirmed this:

His coaches didn’t play him much in a press-man look.
He has noticeable hip tightness when attempting to make open-field tackles (and missed).

What are the biggest problems for Johnson?

His mindset is too lax ⎯too passive.
Lacks technique
Victimized by lesser opponents

Johnson didn’t turn back around in time when passes got behind him in man coverage.

He also gave up too much cushion for receivers to make receptions. The numbers back the film. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF); Johnson was targeted 25 times in 2024 and gave up 15 receptions (60% catch rate). In 2023, he was targeted 37 times and gave up 17 receptions (45.9% catch rate).

Here are six game film examples (photograph evidence provided) of Johnson being too passive in coverage in each of his six games in 2024 vs. Fresno State, Texas, Arkansas State, USC, Washington, and Illinois.

Getting torched by Fresno State and Arkansas State didn’t help.

Per PFF, Johnson was targeted eight times by Fresno State, and he gave up five catches. Against Arkansas State, he was targeted nine times and gave up six receptions. These two games weren’t resume builders.

Comparing 2023 vs. 2024

I had a second-round grade on Johnson heading into 2024, and he didn’t answer those questions.

Add in the prolonged injury and increased catch rate by receivers this season ⎯yeah, he regressed.

“The problem for Will Johnson is he did not know where the ball was.”

—NBC Sports talking about the pass interference call on Johnson vs. Washington (2024) pic.twitter.com/Vuslr5X8Xn
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) January 12, 2025

#2 Will Johnson 6-foot-2, 202 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: Fourth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Not So Fast With The Big Will Johnson Grade (2023: 11 games evaluated)

Projected by 96.1% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of January 18, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film evaluated: Fresno State, Texas, Arkansas State, USC, Washington, and Illinois (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2024 stats: 14 tackles (2 assists), 3 passes defended, 2 interceptions, and 0 sacks.

Fox Sports: Johnson’s dad, Deon, played cornerback for Michigan

Note: Missed 6 games in 2024 dealing with a turf toe injury sustained on Oct. 19 vs. Illinois

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

A reactionary damage control opportunist who gets by on natural ability. Physical. Strong. Periodically jammed receivers, but preferred sitting back and attempting to bait quarterbacks underneath. Relies on what he can see and plays the receivers. Lacks natural ball instincts. Too slow to react too much of the time to defend passes. Misjudges space. Played a lot of zone coverage. Some reluctance in pass support. Less inclined to provide run support. Below average tackler. Players overcame his tackling attempts too often. Best fits the No. 2 corner role in an off-man and/or zone system or No. 3 nickel in a scheme working primarily in the short-to-intermediate route levels (0-19 yards).

Final words

Johnson looked too comfortable giving up catches in 2024.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.