There’s judging talent, and then there’s judging the value of where said talent is grabbed. So when ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller considers the talent of Arizona Cardinals rookie cornerback Will Johnson and where they got him — the 47th overall selection — the value was top-notch.
Miller called that selection the second-best pick of the entire 2025 NFL Draft in his list of the 100 best picks of the draft, behind only the Chicago Bears nabbing wide receiver Luther Burden III with the 39th pick.
Writes Miller:
Johnson was a top-10 player in this class when looking solely at film and not accounting for injuries. While he didn’t want to slip to Round 2, Jonathan Gannon’s system is a great fit for him. Johnson has Trevon Diggs-esque ball-hawking skills and is a shutdown corner when healthy. This is one of the steals of the draft as far as value, as he was taken 40 spots lower than I had him ranked.
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The quick context: Johnson played in six games for Michigan last season due to toe and shoulder injuries, but it was reportedly a knee issue that tanked his draft stock in April.
Still, the Cardinals didn’t believe Johnson would be available with their second-round choice, and it left Gannon feeling like he was missing something when Johnson remained on the board on Day 2 of the draft.
Johnson’s sophomore season was his best. He finished with four interceptions and the first of two All-American accolades.
Despite playing in just six games as a junior in 2024, he recorded two picks and returned both for touchdowns.
Other than Will Johnson, who did ESPN’s Miller see as other strong draft picks by the Cardinals?
Miller ranked Arizona’s 16th overall selection of defensive tackle Walter Nolen as the 34th-best pick of the draft, considering his upside fitting well in the Cardinals’ 4-3 scheme.
The ESPN analyst also hat-tipped Arizona for selecting third-round pick Jordan Burch (78th overall), which Miller ranked 75th on his list.
Burch’s physical tools are impressive — his movement skills were apparent when he played Wildcat quarterback at Oregon. He has to round out his pass-rushing tools, but the upside is tremendous.
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