Report: Michigan CB Will Johnson not working out at NFL Scouting Combine

Michigan’s Will Johnson, one of the top corners in the upcoming draft, will not be taking the field in Indianapolis. Per Jordan Reid at ESPN, Johnson will not work out the next few days at the NFL Combine. Instead, Johnson will do so at Pro Day for the Wolverines next month in Ann Arbor.

“Michigan CB Will Johnson will not workout at the Combine, sources tell ESPN,” Reid tweeted on Thursday. “He will fully participate in Pro Day on March 21st.”

This comes as part of the media availability today for the defensive backs and tight ends on Thursday at the combine in Indy. After that and other exams, players will take the field on Friday and Saturday – although now Johnson will not be among them.

Johnson is projected as a first-round pick come the start of the 2025 NFL Draft. Per mocks and rankings of this class, he has consistently been second among cornerbacks behind only Colorado’s Travis Hunter. That’s why it’s not too surprising to see him not take the field at the combine.

With that, there’s varying opinions on where Johnson, with a consensus first-round grading, will be a selection in April. A few have had him still in the Top 10 but recent projections over the past two weeks have him anywhere from 11 through 20, just outside of it with several teams involved like Jacksonville, Seattle, Dallas, San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Tampa Bay.

Through three seasons with the Maize & Blue, Johnson totaled 68 tackles and nine interceptions, three of which he took back for pick-sixes. In that time, he won a national title and was both a two-time selection as All-Big Ten and All-American with First Team honors in 2023 and still Second Team recognition despite injuries in 2024.

Johnson can still improve his standing for that first night of the draft by the time it comes in two months. He’ll just be doing it at his own pro day rather than this weekend at the combine with this decision.

Analyst on Will Johnson: ‘I did not think he played his best…This will be a big spring for him’

On a recent conference call with fellow media members, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah gave his thoughts on Johnson ahead of the combine.

“Will Johnson is an interesting one because there was so much hype on him coming into the season. He was this big, athletic, rangy corner,” Jeremiah said. “He’s got ball production, but I did not think he played his best this year.

“I thought there were times where he wasn’t super interested against the run, and he got trucked a couple times against the run. I just wanted to see a little more physicality there. And then some guys got on top of him.”

With that, Jeremiah believed competing at the combine would help give teams a better grasp on where Johnson is

“Didn’t get the chance to finish out the year healthy so I think this will be a big spring for him to kinda recapture some of that momentum he had off of a much better season,” Jeremiah said.