CB Will Johnson, Michigan / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is one of the most intriguing players available heading into Day 2 of this year’s NFL draft. Once viewed as a first-round lock and likely top-15 pick, a knee injury has caused him to fall. According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, the Vikings’ medical staff cleared his injury to a point where they might be interested in drafting him, if available.
“That knee situation, I was told that the Vikings medical staff cleared it to where they felt confident enough if the Vikings picked him, they were gonna be ok with it,” Lewis said on the latest edition of The Alec Lewis Show podcast.
The Vikings ultimately passed on Johnson at No. 24 overall to take Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson, who they’re very excited about. They aren’t set to pick until No. 97 late on Friday night, and there would seem to be no chance Johnson falls that far, but there have been some rumblings about Minnesota potentially dealing future draft capital to move up.
Listed at around 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Johnson is everything you want in an elite cornerback prospect. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school in 2022 and he had three years of impressive production at Michigan. He recorded a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 76.5 or higher every year as a Wolverine, finishing his career with nine interceptions and more pick-sixes (three) than touchdowns allowed. He was the defensive MVP in the 2023-24 national title game.
As Johnson slid on Thursday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that he has a knee issue that concerned some teams. He is now viewed as one of the top players available before the second round, and it’ll be fascinating to see how quickly he comes off the board on Friday.
Despite Byron Murphy Jr. re-signing, the free agent additions of Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, and the return of Mekhi Blackmon from injury, the Vikings are still in need of more cornerback help. That’s a position they could look to address with one of their remaining picks in this draft.
If Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Minnesota’s front office want to be aggressive and make a big splash on Day 2, trading up for a player like Johnson could be a possibility.
