Many believe the Arizona Cardinals got one of the biggest steals of the 2025 NFL draft when they selected cornerback Will Johnson in the second round with the 47th overall pick. He was projected as a first-round pick, even as highas in the top 10, but fell all the way to the second round.
There were late concerns about his knee.
We have heard the story, but ESPN's Jeremy Fowler gave some added insight to the Cardinals landing the potential No. 1 cornerback.
He was "a polarizing figure."
Part of the issue: The knee was flagged at combine testing, the results of which teams typically get in mid-to-late April. That gave some teams pause and resulted in a slide out of the first round. Still, executives forecast Johnson would go in the back half of the first round. That didn't happen.
In the hours before Day 2, some teams considering Johnson still had questions. Arizona was fine with the issues, and as a result, Johnson had the team circled as a strong possibility entering the start of the second round. Johnson played through the knee issue at Michigan, where he became a national champion and the Wolverines' defensive MVP. If that level of play continues, Arizona just got first-round value in the second round.
We didn't hear anything about a medical re-check, which is curious. What is interesting is that once Day 2 came, Johnson saw the Cardinals as a possibility. They had the 15th pick of the round, so they just had to wait things out.
Johnson has insisted that he feels no knee pain. It was said in the draft broadcast that there was no swelling. Johnson is upset and frustrated about what people are saying about it.
But by all accounts, it was not a concern about right now. The concerns were that there was something degenerative that would potentially impact his long-term viability.
The Cardinals either are not worried about a few years down the road or did not agree with the assessment of some other teams.
While one storyline for Johnson's career is how quickly he can crack the playing rotation and starting lineup, another more subtle storyline is paying attention to his knee. When will it become a problem? Will it be a problem?
The draft worked out for the Cardinals. They got two first-round talents in the first two rounds of the draft. Now we can see if Johnson pans out early.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: More insight to Arizona Cardinals CB Will Johnson's NFL draft slide
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