Scouting Report: Will Johnson - CB - Michigan
Sales Pitch: True shutdown CB who looks like he was built in a lab. Top end size and movement skills to play both man and zone coverage at a high level.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Will Johnson is a former 4-Star (5-Star by some sites) recruit from the state of Michigan. Johnson was a big time contributor from the minute he stepped on campus, playing almost 500 snaps as a freshman before emerging as on of the top DBs in the country in 2023, receiving 1st Team All-American and All Big-10 honors. Johnson was limited to just 6 games in his 2024 campaign but remained one of the top DBs in the country, finishing with 2nd Team All Big-10 honors and a Jim Thorpe Semifinalist appearance.
Johnson is built like a prototype modern day corner at 6’ 2”, 200+ pounds with excellent size and fluid movement skills. He does a great job using his size and strength to disrupt WRs in press coverage, forcing route stems towards his help. He has the foot quickness and agility to mirror WRs from a variety of alignments in both press and off coverage. Johnson pairs his elite physical traits with tremendous football IQ. He does an excellent job in zone coverage reading concepts and body language to anticipate throws and routes. His spatial awareness and communication skills lead to him always being at the correct spot. Johnsons’ size and IQ also translate to making plays on the ball, as evidenced by his 9 INTs and 7 PBUs in 3 years. He is quick to close on the ball from off coverage and has the length to disrupt the catch point. He uses his big frame to wall off WRs at the catch point and shows the ball skills and hands to convert PBUs into INTs.
The thing that is holding back Johnson from being a true blue chip prospect at CB, is his involvement in the run game. While he plays with good positioning and angles he fails to consistently play up to his size. He lacks aggression running the alley to take on blockers, creating running lanes for ball carriers. Johnson also sports a 15% missed tackle rate that largely stems from half hearted attempts to bring down offensive players. He does show flashes of upside in big games (see the 2023 National Title Game) where he uses his size and strength to his advantage, but it is not consistent yet.
Will Johnson projects as a true #1 corner who can play on the outside and follow a teams’ top target. His size and movement skills are rare for the position, especially when paired with his football instincts. He profiles as a Pro-Bowl caliber CB from Day 1 with All-Pro upside if he can raise his impact versus the run.