Will Johnson proved to the Cardinals what Michigan fans already knew about him

Just last year, former Michigan cornerback Will Johnson capped off his three-year tenure for the Wolverines with one of the best seasons of his career.

He earned three pass deflections and two interceptions for two touchdowns before going on to become an early second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Now, with just one game under his belt for the Arizona Cardinals in his rookie season, he is already proving to the franchise that he was well worth the second-round pick and making other teams regret not taking him earlier.

In the Cardinals' Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints, receivers covered by Johnson were targeted just seven times, and he only allowed three catches for a minimal 32 yards. The former Wolverine even brought down an interception, but it was devastatingly called back by an unrelated penalty on the play.

Johnson had hard hits and an impressive defensive IQ that helped lead Arizona to its 20-13 victory against New Orleans, starting the Cardinals off with a 1-0 record on the season.

Johnson played three seasons for the Michigan Wolverines and undeniably earned his way into being a second-round draft pick.

During his college career, Johnson brought down 68 total tackles (57 solo), 10 pass deflections, and nine interceptions for 237 yards and three touchdowns. He was an absolute beast against his college opponents and that hard work is already showing at the next level.

In his first-ever NFL preseason, Johnson played in three games for the Cardinals and had just two total tackles without much else to write home about. Since then, the defensive back has clearly put in the effort to ensure his first regular-season appearance was one for the books.

Johnson and the Cardinals host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 4:05 p.m. MT. The Week 2 game will be broadcast on CBS.