Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers are projected to draft Michigan cornerback Will Johnson with their 2025 first-round pick.
In his first mock draft of the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, NFL.com draft analyst Eric Edholm has projected that the Pittsburgh Steelers will select Michigan Wolverines cornerback Will Johnson.
Edholm predicts the Steelers will stick at pick No. 21, and have their choice between top available wide receivers Emeka Egbuka of Ohio State and Luther Burden III of Missouri. However, they will opt to further strengthen their already star-studded defense, instead.
“I don’t believe Johnson is the top-10 lock some seem to think he is, with the big corner facing injury and speed questions ahead of the NFL Scouting Combine,” Edholm writes. “But his skill set could bolster Pittsburgh’s secondary.”
Johnson is a junior who played all three seasons of his collegiate career at Michigan where he was very productive, registering 68 tackles (57 solo), nine interceptions, 10 passes defensed and three touchdowns.
The 21-year-old was also named the College Football Playoff National Championship Game Defensive MVP after intercepting quarterback Michael Penix’s first pass of the second half in Michigan’s 34-13 win over Washington.
As a result, many believe he will end up as a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Edholm seems to think differently due to his injury history.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound cornerback missed time due to a shoulder contusion and season-ending turf toe injury in 2024.
If Johnson can prove to be healthy in the coming months, he will likely be long gone by the time the Steelers make their first selection at No. 21 overall. But if not, he would be difficult to pass on, even if Pittsburgh has more pressing needs on the offensive side of the ball.
The Steelers could also lose starting cornerback Donte Jackson this offseason since he is one of their 24 pending free agents. If Jackson does leave to play elsewhere in 2025, Pittsburgh will need a new starter opposite cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Johnson could prove to be exactly that.
