Those who thought Ossenfort lacked grit were proven wrong when the Cards took Will Johnson. A CB with exceptional talent but older knees. When you’re dealing with an injured player, you’re always weighing risk/reward. He may not last 10 years, but he should be very good for 5-6 years. The typical CB lasts 3 years. BTW he didn’t tear a ligament.
I don’t want to scare people but his knee problem is with articular cartilage. This is what Wadsworth had and it prematurely ended his career. Osteoarthritis often develops over time. In the short run knee instability is common. The concern here is aggravated in that Johnson plays a physical style. That said he’s a CB, not a DL. So he should tolerate the condition longer with proper therapy. Today’s treatments are better. Cartilage replacement works in many cases. Microfracture surgery is much improved. My guess is he has 3-5 year of this condition not being even partially debilitating. His style of play does mean he’ll continue to miss a few games with minor injuries. Beyond that it’s just a case of how effectively treatments work. Germany seems to be ahead of the US in treating this condition.
David J Chao, former NFL team physician, cleared him. The Vikes medical staff cleared him. The more pressing question is, can he avoid the nagging minor injuries that have plagued him? He had a toe injury. He had a hamstring pull, who hasn’t? ESPN has reported that Johnson has not suffered any setbacks in recovering from turf toe and that his hamstring injury isn’t serious. He apparently had a shoulder separation, but likely level one since he missed only 1 game. Michigan CB Will Johnson worked out for NFL teams. Dane Bruglar reported a few notes from scouts in workout attendance:
- No 40-yard dash
- 37" vertical, 4.33 short shuttle
- Above average during positional drills. "Very smooth."
He is not a speed demon. Credible reports put his 40 times at 4.5. Many good CBs have’t been burners. Joe Haden, for example, ran 4.57. Johnson has great agility, footwork and body control. His strength allows him to redirect WRs. Johnson has mastered using the sideline to restrict pass catchers. No CB does a better job of anticipating routes. He mixes it up on contested throws and simply overpowers receivers. Johnson is an outstanding hand fighter enhanced by being intensely competitive. He has a great closing burst using his strong hands to rip out balls. The Cards like to play zone. He’s awesome in zone with quick twitch reaction to cover players entering his zone. His awareness is exceptional. He also likes to use his physicality to press vulnerable WRs. Receivers don’t enjoy being covered by him.
Keep in mind despite fighting injuries in 2024 he allowed only a passer rating of 52.6. In 3 seasons he stacked up 9 interceptions, returning 3 for TDs. He’s terrific at reading QBs and anticipating throws. That quick twitch I mentioned earlier shows up in jumping routes. BTW he’s excellent at blitzing, but I expect that to occur only in an emergency as not to expose him to injury unnecessarily. He should start immediately at CB.
He needs some polishing. He can get fooled by double moves, including stop & go routes. Smart QBs will try to disrupt his coverage with pass fakes. His physical play can draw occasional flags and he sometimes grabs when beaten. The NFL officials will be tough on him. He has to significantly improve his tackling, needing to wrap up much better. He can get carried away trying for interceptions. He needs to play under control. He’s weakest on inside throws that are well timed. He willingly supports against the ground game but can overrun plays. He has quite a bit to clean up, but he’s on the correct team to do that. The Cards will tolerate a few mistakes in his learning process in exchange for his game altering abilities.
If Melton continues his growth these two and Williams could well become the league’s best set of CBs.
I don’t want to scare people but his knee problem is with articular cartilage. This is what Wadsworth had and it prematurely ended his career. Osteoarthritis often develops over time. In the short run knee instability is common. The concern here is aggravated in that Johnson plays a physical style. That said he’s a CB, not a DL. So he should tolerate the condition longer with proper therapy. Today’s treatments are better. Cartilage replacement works in many cases. Microfracture surgery is much improved. My guess is he has 3-5 year of this condition not being even partially debilitating. His style of play does mean he’ll continue to miss a few games with minor injuries. Beyond that it’s just a case of how effectively treatments work. Germany seems to be ahead of the US in treating this condition.
David J Chao, former NFL team physician, cleared him. The Vikes medical staff cleared him. The more pressing question is, can he avoid the nagging minor injuries that have plagued him? He had a toe injury. He had a hamstring pull, who hasn’t? ESPN has reported that Johnson has not suffered any setbacks in recovering from turf toe and that his hamstring injury isn’t serious. He apparently had a shoulder separation, but likely level one since he missed only 1 game. Michigan CB Will Johnson worked out for NFL teams. Dane Bruglar reported a few notes from scouts in workout attendance:
- No 40-yard dash
- 37" vertical, 4.33 short shuttle
- Above average during positional drills. "Very smooth."
He is not a speed demon. Credible reports put his 40 times at 4.5. Many good CBs have’t been burners. Joe Haden, for example, ran 4.57. Johnson has great agility, footwork and body control. His strength allows him to redirect WRs. Johnson has mastered using the sideline to restrict pass catchers. No CB does a better job of anticipating routes. He mixes it up on contested throws and simply overpowers receivers. Johnson is an outstanding hand fighter enhanced by being intensely competitive. He has a great closing burst using his strong hands to rip out balls. The Cards like to play zone. He’s awesome in zone with quick twitch reaction to cover players entering his zone. His awareness is exceptional. He also likes to use his physicality to press vulnerable WRs. Receivers don’t enjoy being covered by him.
Keep in mind despite fighting injuries in 2024 he allowed only a passer rating of 52.6. In 3 seasons he stacked up 9 interceptions, returning 3 for TDs. He’s terrific at reading QBs and anticipating throws. That quick twitch I mentioned earlier shows up in jumping routes. BTW he’s excellent at blitzing, but I expect that to occur only in an emergency as not to expose him to injury unnecessarily. He should start immediately at CB.
He needs some polishing. He can get fooled by double moves, including stop & go routes. Smart QBs will try to disrupt his coverage with pass fakes. His physical play can draw occasional flags and he sometimes grabs when beaten. The NFL officials will be tough on him. He has to significantly improve his tackling, needing to wrap up much better. He can get carried away trying for interceptions. He needs to play under control. He’s weakest on inside throws that are well timed. He willingly supports against the ground game but can overrun plays. He has quite a bit to clean up, but he’s on the correct team to do that. The Cards will tolerate a few mistakes in his learning process in exchange for his game altering abilities.
If Melton continues his growth these two and Williams could well become the league’s best set of CBs.
