By Ross Jackson
One NFL Draft prospect has flown under the radar this offseason due to a recent injury, but now that he’s “fully healed,” that may be about to change — which could generate interest from the New Orleans Saints.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson will hold a workout for NFL clubs on Monday.
Johnson is widely still considered the top cornerback in this year’s draft, though Texas Longhorn corner Jahdae Barron has been closing the gap. A big reason why that gap has been closing has been because of Johnson’s health.
Johnson’s Recent Injury
The Wolverines defender suffered a hamstring injury in February that kept him out of workouts and drills at both the NFL Scouting Combine and his Michigan pro day. Now, he’ll get a chance to host his own workout and showcase his athletics testing and skills.
Standout Skill Set
On tape, it’s undeniable that Johnson is a remarkable prospect. He’s a great coverage defender with an uncanny ability to mirror opposing receivers. He has great processing and recognition abilities and is a physical and competitive player that has no problem getting involved in the run game, though his tackling can certainly improve. He had 14 missed tackles in his collegiate outing, good for a 15.7% missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus.
He could be a defensive coordinator’s dream, Johnson has the traits and production of a lockdown cornerback in coverage, while not being a liability in other phases of the game.
With dynamic playmaking skills and elite physical traits, no wonder Will Johnson is one of this year’s highly-touted prospects ⭐️
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Biggest Questions
Johnson, who is 6-foot-2 and 194 pounds, will have a couple of questions to answer as he transitions to the league. Obviously health will be paramount but so will his speed testing. He’ll begin answering that question if he runs the 40-yard-dash at his workout. If he runs in the 4.4-second range, he will check a big box on his way to what’s expected to be a pro bowl career.
Johnson has recently suffered both hamstring and turf toe injuries, the latter costing him the second half of his final season. The Saints haven’t had much luck with either of those ailments in the recent past. Being cautious here makes sense, but other than these injuries, Johnson’s record is pretty clean from a health standpoint.
College Production
Johnson had a fantastic collegiate career with Michigan. He allowed just two touchdown passes to be completed in his coverage over his three years (both in 2022). He surrendered just a 54% reception rate and forced a passer rating of just 49.8 when targeted.
The 22 year old corner had nine career interceptions and was credited with 10 pass breakups, as well. He was flagged just seven times throughout his three seasons, four of which were accepted.
Fit with the Saints
With cornerback Marshon Lattimore dealt at last year’s trade deadline and defender Paulson Adebo signed away in free agency, the Saints are down both week one starters from last year. Second-year cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry is expected to step up into a starting role while disruptive corner Alontae Taylor may be best going back into the slot.
The Saints signed Isaac Yiadom, bringing the veteran corner back to New Orleans and also has a promising young player in Rico Payton. But New Orleans may want to continue to bolster this room and land a new starter in the draft.
If they feel comfortable with Johnson’s medical checks and future, as well as his speed and discipline, he could be a shoo-in for pick No. 9 overall in the draft.
