2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Will Johnson

Strengths:

• Scheme Versatility: Johnson is a versatile CB who can play in man coverage or multiple zone concepts on either side of the formation.
• Intelligence: He is a high-IQ football player whose film study shows up on tape consistently. Johnson anticipates routes at an extremely high level and understands how to disrupt timing.
• Physical: Johnson plays with physicality through the route, bodying vertical routes, and interrupting timing with control and strength. He uses various jam techniques in press coverage to disrupt the read.
• Smooth: He combines patient feet and smooth hip transitions in his drop to stay in phase.
• Size: Johnson is a big cornerback with impressive power and tenacity to match. He will work through blocks as a run defender and bring some pop as a tackler.

Weaknesses:

• Recovery Speed: Johnson lacks the ideal speed to recover from a misstep in coverage. His penchant for biting on double moves makes this a more notable concern. If he gets stacked, he has no way back into the rep.
• Slot Coverage: Multiple instances of him getting beat vertically from press coverage in the slot.
• Burst: Johnson lacks the dynamic burst to click and close from static positions explosively. When flat-footed, he can pounce on passing lanes instantly and take the football, but his burst is lacking while already in motion.
• Takes the Cheese: Ball-hawking ways make him susceptible to double moves, which is especially painful since he lacks the recovery speed to make up for it. Johnson can be over-reliant on his film study, struggling when teams change their tendencies.
• Injuries: Over the last two seasons, Johnson has missed games due to knee, lower leg, and turf toe injuries.

Final Thoughts and Bears Fit for Will Johnson:

Overall, Will Johnson is a versatile cornerback capable of playing in both man and zone coverage, showing strong football intelligence and physicality. He has excellent size, power, and smooth hip transitions, allowing him to stay in phase with receivers.

However, his lack of recovery speed and burst can leave him vulnerable at a position with little margin for error. His film study and ability to take what he sees on tape and capitalize on it is second to none, but that can only go so far in the NFL without elite physical traits. Additionally, his durability is a concern, as he has missed multiple games in the last two seasons.

Johnson has an All-Pro ceiling due to his approach to the game. He plays like a pro, and his IQ bleeds through the tape. This same quality also establishes his high floor. I expect Johnson to be a long-term starter in this league, but there’s a strong chance he never fully realizes his pre-draft billing due to the lack of elite physical traits. Johnson is likely a good, not great, cornerback. This is valuable, but it doesn't align with the Bears' needs at ten.

Johnson could be a strong fit for Dennis Allen's defense thanks to his advanced press technique and ability to jam receivers at the line of scrimmage. However, he might be more vulnerable to getting burned due to how frequently Allen asks his cornerbacks to play press coverage with vertical responsibilities. 

If the Bears had a greater need at cornerback, I would be more inclined to consider it. Given the condition of the Bears roster, any cornerback chosen at 10 would have to be the ideal fit. At the same time, Johnson's optimal fit would be in a defense that allows him to play more off-coverage and read the quarterback's eyes.

Pro Comp: Josh Norman