Michigan CB Will Johnson 2025 Draft Profile

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Nov 14, 2024 3:23 PM ET

Will Johnson, CB

Height/Weight: 6-2, 202lbs

Age: 21

Michigan

Will Johnson Michigan Stats

ESPN

Year	Interceptions	Pass Breakups	Tackles
2022	3	3	27
2023	4	4	27
2024	2	3	14
Career Totals	9	10	68

Pros:

Transitions

Exceptional short-area athlete given his frame. Springy feet to get out of his pedal and into breaks. Silky smooth hips that flash on speed turns and zone coverage.

FBI (Football Intelligence)

Possesses an obvious knowledge of route concepts. An instinctual gambler on screens and underneath patterns except he almost hits the jackpot

Size

Long and athletic frame with a solid base and excellent musculature for the position. The combination lends to an omnipresent physicality at the line of scrimmage and at the catch point

WILL JOHNSON WITH A MONUMENTAL PICK SIX TO PUT MICHIGAN UP 20-10 〽️

pic.twitter.com/NKcbbtPIfz
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) September 21, 2024

Cons

Tackling

Occasional lapses in technique leave him on the wrong end of angry runs or picking himself up off the turf

Aggressiveness

Playmaking demeanor is valuable, but experienced QBs won't hesitate to use his instincts against him

Technique

No real flaws, just would like to see him refine some of his leverage and body positioning as opposed to relying on pure athletic traits

Player Evaluation:

Part of the reason that Johnson is widely recognized as the best pure player in the draft is his multiplicity. If a team runs a lot of single high zone, he can play the deep third and carry vertical patterns from the inside.

How about a lot of split safety coverages? No problem. Johnson's length and instincts make him a perfect fit for cover 2, quarters and cover 6/8.

Well he must not be able to play man coverage right?

Wrong.

Johnson has the size to reroute and jam WRs off the line, the transitions, foot speed and hip mobility to mirror route stems, and then the long speed to trail or play in the hip pocket of the pass catcher.

Player Comparison:

Jalen Ramsey

It's a hefty comparison when analyzing how successful Ramsey has been and still is, but the similarities are strong between Johnson and the future Hall of Famer. Not only does Johnson check the height-weight-speed box like Ramsey, but his versatility reminds of you of the All-Pro, as well as his gambler mentality.