Cardinals’ Will Johnson has a bone-chilling message for every team that passed on him in NFL Draft

Former Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is excited to join the Arizona Cardinals but vowed to make every team that passed on him regret it.

Cardinals’ Will Johnson has a bone-chilling message for every team that passed on him in NFL Draft

Will Johnson (Image via IMAGO)

Will Johnson wants to make every team pay for passing on him in the draft. Johnson was among the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, but injuries derailed his draft stock, and he fell to the second round. Eventually, the Arizona Cardinals selected him to strengthen their secondary.

Johnson’s draft day video went viral recently. The footage contains a message for all the other NFL teams that didn’t draft him.

I am finna go kill… They’re gonna pay for this sh** I promise you. Arizona [Cardinals] finna get a dawg.

Will Johnson said

During his sophomore season, Johnson allowed just 17 completions for 267 yards on 37 targets. If he can prove himself during the camp, then HC Jonathan Gannon will start him next to Murphy-Bunting.

Why did Will Johnson’s draft stock fall?

Midway through his junior year, Johnson made headlines as one of the top players in his position. He even had better numbers than Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Most mock drafts projected him as a top ten pick.

Cardinals' Will Johnson has a bone-chilling message for every team that passed on him in NFL Draft
Will Johnson (Image via IMAGO)

However, draft gurus pointed out injury concerns as a major red flag on Johnson’s CV. In 2023, he underwent knee surgery and the following season suffered a toe turf injury in October. The recurrent injuries kept him from finishing the season with Michigan.

His misery wasn’t over. Just as he began to feel better and attack the practice fields with gusto, the 22-year-old hurt his hamstring. This was a major setback for the young DB. It forced him to miss the NFL scouting combine and pro day.

It was kind of just [something that happened when I] got back from my toe [injury] in early January. When you’re doing the training we’re doing, like this, it’s pretty intense, so just trying to run as fast as I can and hammy wasn’t ready for that yet.

Will Johnson said

Usually, scouts and NFL brass rely on the Combine to have one-on-one talks with their favorite players. Johnson missed that opportunity, so it was a negative on his part. Just look at how Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock was affected due to a rough combine.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Johnson received invitations for a private workout session from several teams.

Michigan’s All-American CB Will Johnson, one of the draft’s top CBs, will work out for NFL teams on Monday at 10 am in Ann Arbor now that he’s fully healed from a hamstring injury suffered in February. A day later, he heads to Las Vegas to visit the Raiders.

Ian Rapoport tweeted

Despite acing the private workouts, NFL teams still felt that Johnson’s knee is a work in progress. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, in his mock draft, projected the Green Bay Packers to select Johnson at 23 a few days before the draft in Green Bay.

Johnson described himself as a ‘shutdown corner.’

[I always] take the ball away. [If given the chance, I am] gonna take away your number one receiver and be a game-changing player. That’s what I’m coming in to do right away.

Will Johnson said

Unfortunately, teams didn’t consider him a first-rounder any longer. The Packers took Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden at 23 while Johnson fell to the second round. The Arizona Cardinals swooped in and selected him 47th overall on day two.

The Cardinals boast one of the youngest secondaries in the league. Players such as Garrett Williams, Starling Thomas V, Max Melton, Elijah Jones, and Jaylon Jones have been part of the NFL for fewer than four years. Sean Murphy-Bunting is the veteran head in the locker room with a Super Bowl ring (with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

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