The Arizona Cardinals flew under the radar for most of the draft process, and did during the draft as well. That didn’t stop the team from putting together a promising class with seven players. With a clear emphasis on defense, Arizona drafted six defensive players, and just one offensive player.
One of those defenders came in the second round, and is arguably the best pick of the draft. That pick was Will Johnson, and in a recent ESPN piece ranking the top 100 picks of the 2025 Draft, analyst Matt Miler argued that Arizona’s selection of Johnson was the second-best pick in the entire draft.
Cardinals’ selection of Will Johnson named as second-best pick in entire 2025 Draft
Miller evaluated all 257 picks, and ranked the top 100 based on value, fit, and what a team gave up or gained to get a player. Considering that Johnson has top-10 talent in the class, and Arizona got him in round two with pick 47, the selection had incredible value. Beyond that, Johnson landed in the perfect scheme according to 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."Matt Miller (ESPN)
The reason Johnson reportedly slipped to 47, after being placed as early as the top five in mock drafts dating back to last year, is because of concern over a knee issue. However, the young cornerback said he hasn’t had any problem with his knees in two years, and he’s ready to roll.
If he is truly healthy, and can remain that way for the majority of his career, he has the ability to be a shutdown corner in the NFL, making him a phenomenal draft pick for the Cardinals.