Cowboys 2025 draft scouting report: CB Will Johnson

We proceed our 2025 NFL Draft preview of draft prospects that would curiosity the Dallas Cowboys. As we speak we’re taking a look at cornerback Will Johnson from Michigan.

Will Johnson

CBMichigan Wolverines Junior4-star recruit 6’2”202 lbs

Photograph by Ric Tapia/Getty Photographs

Historical past

Will Johnson was born on March 29, 2003, in Detroit, Michigan. His father, Deon Johnson, was additionally a cornerback for Michigan within the Nineties. Johnson attended Grosse Pointe South Excessive College in Michigan, the place he was a four-year varsity starter. As a senior, he was an All-State choice, amassing 45 tackles, a sack, an interception, and 12 go breakups on protection. He additionally contributed considerably on offense with 42 catches for 667 yards and 6 touchdowns amongst different contributions, totalling 1,302 all-purpose yards.

He was a highly-rated recruit, with a four-star score from 247Sports, and in 2022 he joined Michigan. Johnson made a direct affect for the Wolverines in his freshman yr, turning into a starter and enjoying in all 14 video games. He recorded 27 whole tackles, two tackles for loss, three go breakups and three interceptions.

In his sophomore yr, Johnson was named a First-Workforce All-American, contributing considerably to Michigan’s nationwide championship win. His efficiency included key interceptions, notably one within the nationwide championship recreation in opposition to Washington, incomes him the Defensive MVP award. He ended the season with 27 tackles, 4 go breakups, 4 interceptions, and a pick-six in opposition to Minnesota that he made within the first 15-seconds of the sport.

Johnson’s junior yr was riddled with damage which hindered his manufacturing. Regardless of lacking half the season with decrease leg accidents, he nonetheless managed two interceptions, each returned for touchdowns which led the nation, and one deal with for loss.

2024 Statistics

279 Defensive Snaps14 Whole Tackles1 Sort out for Loss3 Move Breakups 22 Defensive Stops5 Move Breakups2 INT2 INT-TD2 Penalties

NFL Mix/Professional Day

TBC

Awards

All-American (2024)Second-team All-Large Ten (2024)CFP Nationwide Championship Recreation Defensive MVP (2024)All-American (2023)First-team All-Large Ten (2023)

Scorecard

General- 88.9Speed- 90Acceleration- 89Agility- 90Strength- 80Tackling- 77Zone Protection- 88Man Protection- 80Press- 85Discipline- 98

THE GOOD:

Johnson possesses the right body for an NFL cornerback, with glorious size and a filled-out construct.
He exhibits good versatility enjoying press, off-man, or zone protection.
Performs with a affected person and managed backpedal, which permits him to remain balanced and able to break on the ball.
He exhibits an distinctive capacity to learn performs, particularly in zone protection the place his instincts and imaginative and prescient shine.
Demonstrates an elite stage of capacity to find and make performs on the ball.
Successfully jams receivers on the line of scrimmage and makes use of his dimension to field out opponents.
A keen tackler in run assist, exhibiting physicality when participating ball carriers.
His capacity to blitz off the sting provides one other layer to his recreation.

THE BAD:

There are considerations concerning his sturdiness as a consequence of accidents.
He must refine his method in man protection, significantly when it comes to change of route.
Will take pointless gambles.
There have been cases the place his tackling type may very well be extra constant.
Will play overly aggressive which takes him out the play.
Must be extra according to pursuit angles.

THE FIT

There are some crimson flags with Will Johnson however his manufacturing speaks for itself, and in three seasons at Michigan, he gathered 68 tackles, 9 interceptions (together with a school-record three pick-sixes), and 17 go breakups.

Regardless, his elite abilities and abilities undertaking him as a excessive first-round decide, with some mock drafts even contemplating him within the high 10. His mixture of dimension, velocity, physicality, and soccer IQ suggests he may very well be a direct affect participant and probably a franchise cornerstone at cornerback.

His recreation tape paints the image of a extremely proficient, versatile, and impactful cornerback prospect, however his important challenges might be sustaining well being and refining some technical features of his recreation for the skilled stage. Throughout the mix and group interviews his medical assessment will play an important half in how groups view him.

Johnson’s capacity to excel in each protection schemes would make him a seamless match for Dallas. Johnson’s dimension, size, and physicality on the line of scrimmage can be an enormous asset, successfully disrupting routes on the snap, offering the Cowboys with a bodily presence on the surface. The Cowboys have had points with consistency and accidents on the cornerback place in recent times and this upcoming season different cornerbacks are set to hit free company. With gamers like Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, including Johnson wouldn’t solely bolster the beginning lineup but additionally present much-needed depth and competitors. Johnson may very well be seen as a long-term resolution or complement to Diggs, whose aggressive model results in huge performs

COMPARISON

Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos

BTB GRADE

eleventh

CONSENSUS RANKING

eighth(Consensus rating based mostly on the common rating from 90 main scoring companies)