The San Francisco 49ers had the chance to select Michigan cornerback Will Johnson not once but twice in the 2025 NFL Draft, first at No. 11 overall and then again early in Round 2.
Ultimately, the Niners opted to pass on the talented-but-injured defensive back, as did everyone else making selections in the first round before the Arizona Cardinals grabbed him at No. 47 overall.
Johnson, who was frequently tabbed as a potential target for San Francisco in the draft's leadup, could have been viewed as a top-10 selection, yet injuries and an unwillingness to run during a pre-draft workout in front of scouts certainly caused him to slip out of Round 1 and into Round 2, also costing him a significant chunk of money in the process.
While the red birds ultimately got a steal by waiting, the latest news from Arizona's mandatory minicamps might actually justify the 49ers' decision to draft two others instead of Johnson, Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams and Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins.
Will Johnson injuries help vindicate 49ers for not drafting him
Phase 3 of offseason workouts recently wrapped up across the league, but perhaps it was a bit of a shocker to learn from Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon that Johnson would be rested until training camp, not partaking in team drills for the two-day event, as shared by ESPN's Josh Weinfuss:
Cardinals rookie CB Will Johnson was on the field in his jersey for minicamp today but didn’t participate.
— Josh Weinfuss (@joshweinfuss) June 11, 2025
Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday the Cardinals would take it easy with Johnson but didn’t say why.
There were a handful of injured players working with trainers off to the… pic.twitter.com/el3CYUo0PM
Knee, toe and hamstring issues plagued the defensive back heading into the draft's buildup, causing Johnson to miss full workouts at the NFL Combine and Michigan pro day.
While it's unclear whether or not Gannon's decision to rest the rookie until training camp is related to the pre-existing injuries, the fact Arizona's second-round draftee is already missing time after having missed a considerable amount of pre-draft events is a bit concerning.
Sure, some of the Niners' own top draftees were either shut down for the rest of offseason workouts or were limited. But neither Williams nor Collins had the injury concerns Johnson had entering the draft.
Otherwise, they likely would have seen a dramatic slip in projected draft range, too.
Maybe San Francisco understood exactly why it was wise to pass on Johnson.