Cardinals' Highest-Impact Rookie Revealed

It feels as if it's been quite some time since a member of an Arizona Cardinals rookie class stepped into the NFL and made an instant impact at the highest level.

It's a difficult transition for many rookies, whether that includes a learning curve, potential injuries or simply being held back behind a wall of veteran starters clogging up the positional opportunity.

But in recent years, GM Monti Ossenfort and HC Jonathan Gannon have made one thing clear: the players they draft are meant to see the field, even if in a more rotational role.

With that in mind, the Cardinals brought in six defenders in the 2025 NFL draft, multiple of whom profile as eventual high-end NFL talent.

But the truth is, some of these talented rookies may be able to make an instant impact on the field.

Will Johnson Can Make Instant Impact

FOX Sports' Carmen Vitali examined each NFL team's rookie with the highest chance to make an impact in year one. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Vitali landed on second-round CB and No. 47 overall pick Will Johnson.

"Provided he’s healthy, Johnson will immediately upgrade this defensive backfield in Arizona. They had a lot of work to do defensively and they did it. This all of a sudden looks like a pretty complete team to compete in the NFC West," Vitali wrote.

Johnson, unlike some of Arizona's recent draft classes, comes from a blue-blood Michigan program and is a National Champion. He played against some of the best of the best in college football, and has displayed the type of play that might instantly transate to the NFL.

The Cardinals do have a group of rising young corners, and a star manning the slot in Garrett Williams, but they've lacked that true outside lockdown corner, and Johnson could very easily become that for Arizona.

Johnson excels in zone coverage and is a ballhawk with an ability to create turnovers, but doesn't resort to excess contact or find himself on the wrong end of too many penalties.

The Cardinals don't necessarily need Johnson to come in and save their defense — they've done their homework and bolstered a thin defensive front with plenty of interior and edge defenders ready to put pressure on opposing QBs.

But that fact means that Johnson may be able to slot into a starting role and transition to the NFL in a quicker manner than may be expected. It would not be a shock to see the 22-year-old become an instant impact player.