Could Michigan football CB Will Johnson be the first to win this title since 1956?

The Michigan Wolverines have had two players selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft since 1936. The last Wolverine to go first was left tackle Jake Long, who went to the Miami Dolphins with the first pick in 2008. The other player dates back to 1941, when running back Tom Harmon was selected by the Chicago Bears. Is there a chance Michigan could get a third No. 1 pick once the 2025 NFL Draft concludes?

Michigan has several juniors who could enter the 2025 NFL Draft after the 2024 college football season ends. Players like Kenneth Grant, Mason Graham and Will Johnson are as good as they get on defense. While Graham and Grant are stars in their own right, Johnson is arguably the best defensive back in college and will be a top pick in next April’s draft. But could a cornerback actually be selected No. 1 in a draft? Looking at the numbers, it’s highly doubtful. The last defensive back selected first was in 1956, when the Pittsburgh Steelers took Gary Glick out of Texas A&M.

You know the old saying, “If it happened once, it can happen again.” If you look at some 2025 mock drafts, you’ll find one that already has Johnson at No. 1. Pro Football Network projects the Washington Commanders to select Johnson first and pair him with former Wolverine teammate Mike Sainristil in the secondary.

The Washington Commanders assembled an impressive draft class in April, but have yet to find a cornerback to back them up. In this 2025 NFL Mock Draft, they return to the pool of the Michigan Wolverines’ outstanding secondary players and grab a playmaker with the size, football IQ, athletic excellence and ball skills to dominate at the NFL level in Will Johnson.

In 2022, his freshman season, Johnson had a 91.1 man coverage grade according to Pro Football Focus. He was one of the best man defenders in the entire college landscape — and that was as a true freshman. Last season alone, he was tasked with covering a couple of elite wide receivers down the stretch, like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and Washington’s Rome Odunze. Both teams only targeted Johnson six times while covering those two, and he allowed three catches while throwing an interception against the Buckeyes.

The 2023 All-American has outstanding speed, great size, is physically strong and is a complete ball hunter. Although the 2025 NFL Draft is still quite a while away, Johnson’s name will most likely be called as one of the first five picks. It’s probably not likely that a defensive back will be selected first overall, but Johnson will likely have a good chance as long as his junior season is similar to his freshman and sophomore seasons. Many teams will desperately need reinforcements at cornerback and if they can sign a talent like Johnson, that could be a top pick.