Johnson to Cards, 'on a mission' after draft slide

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson's slide in the NFL draft stopped Friday with the Arizona Cardinals in the second round.

And it left him frustrated and mad.

Arizona took Johnson, a projected first-round pick, with the 47th overall selection, halting his skid while simultaneously motivating him.

"I'm on a mission now," Johnson said on a conference call Friday night. "They definitely woke me up for sure."

Reports that Johnson had a knee issue that concerned teams surfaced Thursday during the first round as he continued going undrafted. After getting picked, Johnson said he's "healthy" and hasn't dealt with a knee issue in a while.

"They were saying things about my knee and all that and I haven't really dealt with it in two years, so that's definitely frustrating," he said. "But, it's all good. I'm at where I'm supposed to be and I'm just happy to be a Cardinal now."

A source called Johnson falling to the Cardinals a "gift" and said his injury issues were minor concerns. Johnson finished as the No. 10 overall prospect on ESPN's consensus predraft board.

"I know how my body feels, so I'm just going to go out there and show that on Sundays and show everybody out what they missed out on," he said.

Johnson, who was in the green room in Green Bay during Thursday's first round, said he did not expect to drop as far as he did. He called the experience Thursday night "one of those nightmares you never want to happen."

The former Wolverine golfed with current Cardinals receiver and former Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. while Johnson was training in Arizona over the last few months, and the two discussed the idea of Johnson joining Harrison on the Cardinals. But Johnson said it's "fair to say" he thought it was more likely to happen with the Cardinals first-round pick at No. 16 than with their second-round pick at No. 47.

Johnson played in just six games in 2024 because of a turf toe injury.

He didn't participate in drills at the NFL scouting combine, and a hamstring injury prevented him from taking part in Michigan's pro day. Johnson held a private workout for teams 11 days ago but did not run the 40-yard dash.

He had a Zoom call with the Cardinals and visited the team's headquarters during the pre-draft process. Johnson said "it went great" and he liked the coaching staff's "great energy," which led Johnson to feel like he'll fit in well with Arizona's culture.

Former Michigan teammate Kenneth Grant, who went 13th overall to the Miami Dolphins, called Johnson the "ultimate competitor."

"Whatever he's doing, whether it's on or off the field, he's always [competing]," Grant said. "I'll even go over to his house sometimes and he's on his iPad watching film. So, when he steps on the field, he's always going to be ready schematic-wise.

"He's a dog, bro -- injury or not, he's a dog. He's going to power through it and hit you, for real."

Johnson, who described himself as a "shutdown corner," could come in and compete for one of the Cardinals' starting jobs immediately.

"I think I'm going to make a better situation out of everything," Johnson said. "So, I'm not too worried about it now. I'm just ready to go prove it."

NFL Nation report Marcel Louis-Jacques contributed to this report.