As the NFL Draft is swiftly approaching, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is seeing his once-secure draft status drop due to some injury concerns.
Injury Flag on Will Johnson Could Affect Draft Status
Johnson, a perceived strong candidate to go in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday (April 24), might see his position drop due to concerns from teams about his injuries. According to reports, his nagging turf toe injury that he suffered in the second half of the 2024 season worried scouts, as it kept him out of workouts at the Scouting Combine. Another injury to his knee, first believed to be hamstring-related, also played a part.
Johnson did work out for teams at a private session in mid-April after missing Michigan’s pro day, registering a 37-inch vertical leap, but it was noted that he didn’t do a 40-yard dash.
The 6-foot-2 cornerback was a star in his freshman year with the Wolverines, playing all 14 games with five starts. In his sophomore year, Johnson shone with his play in the team’s National Championship season, nabbing four interceptions and eight passes defended even while dealing with a couple of games missed and starting 11 out of the 12 games he did play in. He even earned the Defensive MVP Award in that Championship Game.
Johnson is considered the second-best secondary player in this year’s draft after Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter of the University of Colorado. The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly shared that Johnson’s slide has him out of the top ten in a post on X, formerly Twitter. There has been speculation that he could go to the Miami Dolphins with the thirteenth pick,
given their recent move to trade All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey.
KEEP READING: Michigan Mock Draft Round Up: Where Will Mason Graham, Will Johnson Land?
A recent mock draft from Jordan Reid of ESPN has Johnson slated to go to the Arizona Cardinals with the sixteenth pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson visited the Seattle Seahawks last week.
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