It’s been since the 2008 NFL draft that Michigan football has seen a Wolverine go No. 1 overall. There was a chance in 2022 when Aidan Hutchinson was picked by the Detroit Lions at No. 2, but the maize and blue have yet another chance to see a player go at or near the top in 2025.
Though he’ll have another year of eligibility remaining, most expect Michigan football cornerback Will Johnson to depart the program after his junior year in 2024. Given that Johnson is thought of as one of the best players in all of college football (and according to EA Sports, the absolute best) that stands to reason.
But it’s one thing to be the best player in college football, it’s a different one to have the type of potential to be selected by an NFL team with the top overall pick.
With that in mind, ESPN’s Jordan Reid handicapped the chances that Johnson is the first-overall pick in 2025 (subscription required) and though he has him as a longshot, he does give Johnson a solid shot to be the first player off the board on an April Thursday night.
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Predicted chance of going No. 1: 2%
Why he could be the top pick: We’ve never seen a cornerback being selected at the top of the draft (common draft era, since 1967). So yeah, the odds are extremely stacked against Johnson. But if there were a CB who could challenge for that feat, he’d be a strong contender. In 2022, Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner were picked with back-to-back selections at Nos. 3 and 4. Johnson is that caliber of corner prospect.
So you’re saying there’s a chance.
Now, it is a longshot that Johnson goes No. 1 overall, given that cornerbacks usually aren’t selected that high. The aforementioned Lions were lambasted when they picked Jeff Okudah with the No. 3 overall pick, not because of Okudah’s talent, but because it’s rare to see a defensive back selected so high these days. Those honors are usually reserved for a quarterback, offensive lineman, or edge rusher.