After a pair of All-American seasons with Michigan football, cornerback Will Johnson was a one-time projected top-five draft pick. But Johnson played in just six games for the Wolverines this past season, didn’t participate in the NFL Combine, nor was he able to display his skills in Michigan’s Pro Day. With the lingering injury concerns, Johnson’s draft stock dropped.

Johnson fell out of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and had to wait a little while for his name to be called in the second round. But finally, with the 47th pick, the Arizona Cardinals took Johnson in hopes of him becoming a Patrick Peterson type player for Arizona.

After dropping so far, ESPN’s Matt Miller named Johnson as the best value pick in Round 2 of the draft.

Getting Johnson at this spot represented a 40-pick value based on my predraft rankings. Johnson fills the Cardinals’ biggest need and has true All-Pro potential. That isn’t usually found in Round 2. There are long-term injury concerns but the reward on this pick could be the highest of any in this class.

– Matt Miller

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After being selected, Johnson expressed his frustrations with falling in the draft. The Wolverines’ cornerback vowed that he was healthy and he would play with a chip on his shoulder. Johnson’s talent is undeniable. During Michigan’s national title run in 2023, Johnson was arguably the most dominant cornerback in college football. He shut down Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., and Washington’s Rome Odunze — two of the top playmakers in college football that year.

Assuming Johnson can stay healthy, he will prove to be the steal of the draft being selected with the 47th pick.

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The Arizona Cardinals continue their strong 2025 NFL Draft class with the selection of Ohio State Buckeyes CB Denzel Burke with the 174th pick in the fifth round.

Arizona initially picked earlier in the round before executing a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, which allowed them to pick up a missing sixth-round pick.

Burke is just the latest Buckeye to head to the desert, following in the foot steps of fellow 2025 draftee Cody Simon and previous names such as Paris Johnson Jr. and Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Cardinals drafted Michigan cornerback Will Johnson in the second round but continue to add to a pretty full secondary room.

Burke started over 50 games for Ohio State during his college career and was a big part of their national championship push this past season.

His NFL.com scouting profile reads as follows:

“Productive four-year starter with the ability to press and navigate zone coverages. Burke possesses NFL size and strength to slow and control the release from press. His coverage movements are smooth, but he’s not always instinctive or natural in man coverage. Burke struggles with change of direction as a pattern-matcher and lacks the closing burst to make up for it. He’s capable from zone but needs to prioritize the ball over the man when breaking on the throw. He’s fierce in run support and tackles with good technique to stop ball-carriers. Burke fits as a downhill zone corner with special-teams ability.”

This very well could spell the end for Sean Murphy-Bunting or Kei’Trel Clark in the desert, especially if Burke can prove himself as a solid special teams contributor during training camp.

The Cardinals are slated to have two picks left in the draft.

Miami Dolphins fans clamoring for offensive line help got their wish in the second round of the 2025 NFL draft, though it came at an extra cost.

The Dolphins selected guard/tackle Jonah Savaiinaea from Arizona with the 37th overall pick after making a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The full trade had the Dolphins acquiring that 37th overall pick, the fifth of the second round, along with a fifth-round pick (143rd overall) for the Dolphins’ second- (48th), third-round (98th) and one of their two fourth-round picks (135th).

Savaiiinaea is projected as a guard in the NFL and it certainly would stand to reason he would be a starter as a rookie in 2025.

That would complete a starting offensive line of, from left, tackle Patrick Paul, guard James Daniels, center Aaron Brewer, Savaiinaea and tackle Austin Jackson.

This is the second time in five drafts the Dolphins moved up in the second round to select an offensive lineman, the previous trade involving the move up to select Liam Eichenberg with the 42nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Savaiinaea was projected as a second- or third-round pick by NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein.

This is what Zierlein wrote about Savaiinaea: “Durable three-year starter who is built like a right guard but has valuable protection experience as a collegiate tackle. Savaiinaea doesn’t have the athleticism to stick at right tackle in the NFL, but can play there in a pinch with some help. He’s very wide and can engulf smaller opponents as a base blocker while sealing off double teams and down blocks. His feet often deaden on contact, creating opportunities for defenders to leak through his edges in both the run and pass games. Savaiinaea’s size works to his advantage and he could become a serviceable starting guard in time.”

Savaiinaea started 36 games at Arizona, playing at right guard in 2022, right guard and right tackle in 2023 and left tackle and right tackle last season.

He was a team captain.

Savaiinaea became the fifth offensive lineman the Dolphins have selected in one of the first two rounds in the past six drafts, following Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt in 2020, Eichenberg in 2021 and Patrick Paul in 2024.

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