Will Johnson — NFL Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

Johnson's injuries, including a hamstring issue that forced him to miss Michigan's pro day, could push him down some draft boards, but the Saints have a major need at cornerback after trading away Marshon Lattimore last season. The former Wolverine was widely viewed as a top-five prospect entering the 2024 season because of his rare combination of size (6-foot-1 3/4, 194 pounds) and instincts on the outside. He is still top-10 worthy if New Orleans is satisfied with his medical reports.

The Chargers strike me as a team that could use help at corner, and while Jim Harbaugh generally prefers addressing the lines of scrimmage early, his familiarity with Will Johnson from their time together at Michigan could be enough to tip the scales here.

The Saints are a wild card here. Any position would seem feasible and understandable. They nab Johnson in this scenario, a cornerback with ideal size (6-foot-1, 194 pounds) but who lacks ideal long speed. Johnson could start right away for the Saints and give New Orleans a long-term solution at the position after trading away Marshon Lattimore and losing Paulson Adebo in free agency.

The Seahawks don't have an urgent need at cornerback since they're returning all three starters from last season. Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe are on expiring contracts, though, so there's a long-term outlook to consider. Beyond that, Johnson is simply a very good player at a premium position. Despite an injury-shortened junior season, the 6-1, 194-pound Johnson is the No. 6 player on The Athletic's consensus big board and the second-ranked cornerback behind Travis Hunter. He'd raise Seattle's ceiling defensively with his scheme versatility and ball skills. — Michael-Shawn Dugar

While some inconsistencies popped up in Johnson's 2024 tape, it's hard to find big, rangy corners with his ball skills.

Tampa struggled mightily in defending the pass a year ago, surrendering 27 touchdowns and intercepting just seven passes. Johnson is a top-10 talent who could slip amid concerns about his health after missing much of the 2024 season (and all pre-draft workouts) due to multiple injuries.

With Johnson and the newly minted Jaycee Horn, the Panthers would have two instinctive and athletic perimeter corners.

The Jaguars were last in pass defense and takeaways in 2024, so they signed Jourdan Lewis to play slot corner, and now they can get their lockdown corner on the outside. It sucks that we didn't get to see Johnson for a full season in 2024 due to the turf toe injury, but he's an excellent player, showing great ball skills from the time he stepped foot on the field in Ann Arbor. He was one of the best cover guys on the outside. He's tough, and you can't play in that defense if you're not willing to make tackles. Three of his nine career interceptions went for pick-sixes.

This is a value pick. I have Johnson ranked 10th on my board, and he might have been even higher had a toe injury not ended his season early. He has nine career interceptions and always seems to be around the football. Garrett Williams was impressive in the slot last season, but the Cards could stand to add on the outside, where they are starting Sean Murphy-Bunting and Starling Thomas V.

Opponents completed 68.6% of their passes against Arizona in 2024 (fourth worst for any defense), and the Cardinals were one of nine teams with fewer than 10 interceptions (nine).

Pairing Will Johnson with Jalen Ramsey would give the Dolphins one of the most physical cornerback duos in the NFL. You'd better bring your lunch pail to face that duo.

The Saints saw Paulson Adebo leave in free agency on a deal worth upwards of $18 million per season. That's certainly not a price point they could contend with, given their other needs.

The value pick is Will Johnson, which would give the Saints a potential secondary of Johnson, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alontae Taylor, Tyrann Mathieu, and Justin Reid. That'll play.