Rajvir Bal Doesn’t Understand “The Love” Will Johnson is Getting

First Round Mock’s NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal has reservations about Michigan cornerback (CB) Will Johnson after studying him on game film.

Consensus NFL Draft Media has fallen in love again, this time around it’s Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.

Pro Football Network, Draft Kings, CBS, Yahoo, NFL.com, Bleacher Report, The Athletic, Pro Football Focus, 33rd Team, Draftwire, SI, SB Nation, USA Today, Fox Sports, Newsweek, NBC Sports, and Yahoo all have stamped this Wolverines’ defender with a first-round grade (nflmockdraftdatabase.com).

I don’t get it.

Despite Michigan having an underwhelming season, Johnson remained a blue-chip prospect in the eyes of these draft platforms.

Despite only playing in six games in 2024 due to a foot injury, that didn’t seem to matter either.

Make it make sense.

Background

Will Johnson was a 4-star recruit and committed to Michigan (247Sports). Johnson was a two-way player in high school playing offense and defense. His dad Deon was a defensive back for the Wolverines (1991-1994).

Johnson’s Stats:

2023:

• 12 games, 27 tackles (20 solo), 4 interceptions, and 4 passes defended

2024:

• 6 games, 14 tackles (12 solo), 2 interceptions, and 3 passes defended

#2 Will Johnson 6-foot-2, 202 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 96.4% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of January 31, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film reviewed: Texas, USC, and  Illinois (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Strengths

Johnson’s best trait is his instincts.

He can bait the quarterback (QB) masterfully. A “Johnson stand-out play” often looks something like this: Johnson plays three yards off his receiver, the QB throws to the ball in that direction, Johnson shows elite acceleration to close that three-yard gap and he produces a pass breakup. This happened multiple times on film. His hips were fluid and his movement was another part of his game I liked. He’s a smart player and sticks to his zone well. Johnson can go from zero to top speed in just a few seconds. This is because of his elite hip movement and acceleration.

Weaknesses

My chief concern is his passion and his motive.

There are so many plays that make me go “C’mon man!”

He doesn’t give his all in tackling, he fails to make the extra play, and he just kind of jogs around the field. I hate lazy players, and Johnson is just that. As previously mentioned, Johnson gives a cushion to receivers, which although sometimes advantageous, can also allow for QBs to continuously hit the check-down. Johnson isn’t a lockdown guy, and gave up his fair share of catches.

Ten Adjectives

Instinctive. Fluid. Explosive. Smart. Reactive. Agile. Lazy. Passive. Hesitant. Inconsistent.

NFL Crystal Ball

New York Giants

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Pro Comp: C.J Henderson

Henderson is the former first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020 (No. 9) who has bounced around the league.

Final Thoughts

Johnson projects as a solid NFL CB2 or CB3 and should be treated as such.

A team shouldn’t use a top-32 pick on Johnson. If they do, disappointment is imminent.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.