The Arizona Cardinals very well might have a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate on their hands. In Sunday’s ugly week one win over the New Orleans Saints, rookie CB Will Johnson gave Cardinals fans an auspicious taste of his potential.
Arizona’s second-rounder looked every bit the part of an NFL-quality corner. He ran step-for-step with Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave with apparent ease, and was robbed of his first career interception by an illegal contact penalty occurring 30 yards away from where Spencer Rattler’s pass landed.
As Johnson’s name circulated pre-draft speculation, one narrative remained prominent: Johnson was an NFL-ready prospect — more so than many, if not most CBs taken in recent years.
Of course, those types of statements hardly have much meaning until the player hits the field. But when Johnson did find himself on an NFL field for the first time in the regular season, the results were tangible.
Will Johnson by The Numbers
The Saints did not shy away from targeting the rookie. In fact, they did so seven times. Johnson defended three of those passes and allowed four receptions — for a measly 32 yards and mostly underneath. That adds up to a dismal 68.75 passer rating when targeted.
And it would have gone down as eight targets, four passes defended and an interception if Max Melton wasn’t questionably flagged in the first quarter.
Johnson earned a 90.2 overall PFF grade. That is the highest among rookie defensive players, and second-highest among all NFL cornerbacks in week one. For context, Broncos star CB and 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II did not post a grade higher than 77.7 throughout his rookie season in 2021.
Obviously, PFF grades and statistics in general hardly tell the entire story of a player’s capabilities. But Johnson’s debut was one of quality, even outside the numbers and grades.
Will Johnson: The Eye Test
Johnson’s would-be interception served as Cardinals’ fans first real look at what Arizona’s rookie can do in one-on-one coverage. With no one to help him over the top, Johnson kept perfect pace with New Orleans’ speedy wideout. In fact, he practically ran the route for Shaheed, tracked down the ball, and made a receiver-like play to snag the ball in stride.
From there, Johnson had a distinct lack of camera time. If a DB isn’t being shown often in replays, he’s doing his job.
Until, of course, the rookie perfectly anticipated a screen pass and leveled WR Chris Olave with a stunning (clean) hit. Johnson reacted so quickly and so accurately it almost appeared he was blitzing — until the ball (and Olave) fell to the ground upon impact.
Postgame, Johnson told reporters that hit was his favorite play of his debut. How could it not be?
That hit served as a reminder of the type of DB Arizona has invested in of late: physical, ball-hawking and cerebral. Johnson’s ability to track down the ball and play aggressively, but cleanly, is exactly the type of trait head coach Jonathan Gannon has coached into his DBs.
“He played well. He played well. I thought he played with the right technique for most of the day, made some plays, showed up.” Gannon told reporters.
“I know the one big hit. What was cool about that was taking the coaching to the grass, that was formation recognition. … He saw it and applied it,” Gannon said.
Of course, Gannon did make sure to point out Johnson’s one missed assignment in Sunday’s postgame interview. Perhaps that’s how Arizona’s head coach gained his reputation as a “DB whisperer.”
It’s certainly been evident the Cardinals know how to draft and develop young defensive backs. Garrett Williams is a star, Melton looks like an extremely competent NFL starter, and Johnson gave hardly any reason to assume he may struggle as a rookie on Sunday.
The growing pains may still come. The first time (or two) Johnson gets burnt in coverage or flagged for being over-physical might sting. But two things were very evident on Sunday: Johnson fits the Gannon DB mold, and he has every physical and mental tool to be a star in this league if he remains healthy.
It’s difficult for a cornerback to win Defensive Rookie of the Year when sacks are the premium defensive stat, but Will Johnson should at least be in that conversation if the rest of his rookie season looks anything like Sunday.
