Cardinals Sign Second-Round CB Will Johnson, Complete Rookie Deals

To no surprise, Will Johnson is on the books in time for the start of the Cardinals’ training camp. The second-round corner signed his rookie deal Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Last night, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reported an agreement was expected in this case. Rookies do not have the option of signing an injury waiver for training camp (unlike rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp). As a result, recent days have seen a flood of second-round picks sign their deals to be available for summer practices.

Johnson’s deal means that Browns running back Quinshon Judkins – whose attention is currently focused on a domestic violence arrest – and Bengals first-rounder Shemar Stewart – who remains engaged in a standoff over language in his pact – are the only rookies yet to sign in 2025. This offseason has been marked by a dramatic uptick in guaranteed compensation for the latter parts of rookie deals in the case of second-round picks. As the No. 47 pick in April’s draft, Johnson is in line to benefit from that development.

Over the course of his three years at Michigan, Johnson established himself as a pivotal figure in the team’s secondary. He played a key role in the Wolverines’ national title in 2023 and entered last season as a strong candidate to hear his name called on Day 1. Injuries limited Johnson to six games in 2024, however, and a knee ailment served as a deterrent for certain teams during the pre-draft process. Questions linger over Johnson’s ability to serve as a regular contributor on defense beyond his rookie contract.

If he can manage that, the All-American will prove to be a highly valuable draft investment on Arizona’s part. The Cardinals will be without Sean Murphy-Bunting for the entire season due to knee surgery, and their secondary will be missing a veteran as a result. Johnson will spend training camp looking to carve out a role amongst the remaining cornerback options, a list which includes other recent draftees in the form of Garrett Williams, Elijah Jones and Max Melton as well as fellow rookie Denzel Burke.

With Johnson signed, here is a final look at the Cardinals’ draft class:

• Round 1, No. 16: Walter Nolen (DT, Ole Miss) (signed)
• Round 2, No. 47: Will Johnson (CB, Michigan) (signed)
• Round 3, No. 78: Jordan Burch (OLB, Oregon) (signed)
• Round 4, No. 115: Cody Simon (LB, Ohio State) (signed)
• Round 5, 174 (from Cowboys)*: Denzel Burke (CB, Ohio State) (signed)
• Round 6, No. 211 (from Cowboys)*: Hayden Conner (G, Texas) (signed)
• Round 7, No. 225 (from Jets through Chiefs): Kitan Crawford (S, Nevada) (signed)