Steve Palazzolo said Will Johnson’s ultra-aggressive style makes him a high-variance but potentially lucrative betting and IDP target. Palazzolo emphasized that Johnson consistently squats on underneath routes the way Patrick Surtain II never did, which will leave him vulnerable to the occasional double-move but should also translate to a rookie season of 5-plus interceptions in Jonathan Gannon’s off-zone-heavy scheme. He pointed out that Arizona’s pass rush projects to be top-half in pressure rate after adding Walter Nolan, Jordan Birch and veteran edge depth, a factor that historically inflates takeaway totals for opportunistic corners (he referenced Tariq Woolen’s six-pick rookie year when Seattle jumped from 28th to 12th in pressure). Because most books still list Johnson at 50-to-1 or longer for Defensive Rookie of the Year and have not posted individual interception props, Palazzolo recommended sprinkling small DROY bets now and flagging Johnson as a weekly boom/bust DFS and IDP option whenever Arizona faces high-volume pass offenses.

Steve Palazzolo called Will Johnson in Round 2 an "absolute steal," projecting him to start Week 1 opposite Marco Wilson in Jonathan Gannon’s off-zone scheme. Palazzolo highlighted Johnson’s three pick-sixes at Michigan, elite short-area acceleration, and fluid hips that shine with eyes on the quarterback. He acknowledged the athletic red flags (13th-percentile agility drills and no 40-time after injury) and the gambler mentality that occasionally gets him double-moved, but sees that aggressiveness as a feature in a defense that encourages corners to drive on underneath routes. For IDP formats, Palazzolo expects Johnson’s combination of target volume and ball skills to translate to splash plays and labeled him a late-round upside dart. He also noted that Areef’s consensus board graded the pick as the fourth-best value in the entire draft, reinforcing Johnson’s path to immediate snaps.

Ryan Wilson gave Arizona an A-plus largely because the Cardinals swiped corner Will Johnson at pick 47. Wilson reminded viewers both he and Mike Renner had Johnson graded inside their top-15 overall before a pre-combine lower-body injury tanked his forty prep. At 6'2" with 32-inch arms, Johnson combines "long, physical press technique" with legit ball skills—he allowed just a 42.6 QB rating and forced incompletions on 19.8 percent of targets during two seasons at Michigan. Wilson expects Jonathan Gannon’s match-zone scheme to showcase that skill set, projecting Johnson to start opposite Garrett Williams and rack up 60-plus tackles with 3-4 interceptions as a rookie. Because the Cardinals faced the sixth-most opponent dropbacks last year and did little to slow opposing passing volume, Wilson called Johnson a screaming value DB3 who could flirt with CB1 numbers in IDP formats by mid-season.

Ryan Wilson handed Tampa Bay an A for scooping Michigan corner Will Johnson at pick 19, calling it a potential steal if the 2023 version shows up. Johnson battled turf‑toe all fall and skipped pre‑draft forty times because of a lingering hamstring, leaving scouts uneasy about his true long speed. Still, his sophomore tape featured a 34 % forced‑incompletion rate, and at 6‑2/196 he fits Todd Bowles’ preference for big press corners. The Bucs struck out on several free‑agent DBs and surrendered the league’s sixth‑highest EPA per drop‑back in 2024, so Wilson expects Johnson to start opposite Jamel Dean immediately. With the betting community focused on Tampa linebacker props, Wilson thinks “Buccaneers first drafted position: Secondary” at +275 is mis‑priced value.

Pat Mayo locked in Will Johnson to Tampa Bay at pick 19 after Thor Nystrom outlined the scheme fit, calling it “too much upside to pass on.” Johnson was once considered a top‑10 lock but slid in recent mocks despite allowing just a 39 % completion rate and zero TDs in man coverage last season at Michigan. Mayo emphasized that Todd Bowles’ single‑high, press‑heavy system mirrors the Wolverines’ looks, making Johnson a plug‑and‑play starter opposite Jamel Dean. Because Tampa had been linked almost exclusively to edge rushers, sportsbooks still list ‘Position of Bucs first pick – DL/EDGE’ as the favorite, while cornerback hovers at +300. Mayo recommended exploiting that market disconnect and grabbing any Will Johnson draft‑slot Under 21.5 tickets still on the board, plus Buccaneers‑Johnson exact‑match props before consensus boards correct for the slide.