ESPN Projects Perfect Cardinals Draft Pick

The Arizona Cardinals currently sit with the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and it's anybody's guess as to which direction the organization will take.

Such is life for a team picking in the middle of the round, where they won't know exactly which players will be available on top of addressing many of their holes in free agency - allowing the Cardinals to truly take the "best player available" mantra once they're on the clock.

There's a few suitable names Arizona could take that would immediately boost their roster - though ESPN's Ben Solak says Michigan CB Will Johnson would be the perfect pick for the Cardinals in the first round.

"The Cardinals are a tough team to draft for. They have 22 starters on the roster right now, which is a rarer thing than you'd expect in the league. The only spot that clearly needs improvement is outside corner, where neither Sean Murphy-Bunting nor Starling Thomas V were great opposite Max Melton . Even then, corner is really not that concerning," wrote Solak.

"As such, the Cardinals should be oriented toward adding a blue-chip player -- someone splashy enough to elevate them from playoff hopeful to actual NFC West contender. I wouldn't even mind a small trade-up to secure a falling star player. I like Arizona to snag Will Johnson, the Michigan corner who has a wide range of outcomes given his injury-shortened 2024 season."

Johnson is considered to be the top corner (outside of Travis Hunter) in the draft thanks to his large frame and zone coverage ability, something that would bode well in Arizona thanks to their affinity for Cover 3 play.

As Solak alluded to, the Cardinals don't exactly have a pressing need for a cornerback. They're fond of their current young core and would like to see them grow.

However, a potentially game-changing talent such as Johnson could be an obvious choice for the Cardinals at 16. With positions of need out the window, Johnson likely will rank among the top players available.

"Teams love big, fluid cornerbacks with ball production and that is exactly what Johnson offers. He’s instinctive and plays with good body control and change of direction in space," said NFL.com's scouting report of Johnson.

"He can play man coverage, but he’s at his best when playing with his eyes forward instead of chasing routes downfield. Johnson displays good pre-snap recognition and can read and anticipate routes/throws at a high level. While he plays the role of thief in coverage, he needs to balance that mentality with a healthy respect for NFL route-runners, as he might lack the recovery speed to close the distance at a desired rate.

"He has coveted traits and his areas of concern fail to stand out as impediments for what could become a long, successful career as a future Pro Bowler."

The Cardinals find themselves in a position to simply worry about adding good football players regardless of alignment - and Johnson seems to be a slam-dunk pick at 16.