Will Johnson's spot on the Cardinals was never really debated. The second-round cornerback, who many (including himself) thought would be a first-round pick in the draft, was always trending toward starting -- or at least being in the top three corners on the team, set to get the most playing time.
So as the regular season closes in and the Cardinals getting ready to pare their roster along with the rest of the NFL down to 53 by Tuesday, Johnson published through The Players Tribune his emotions from the draft until now.
Johnson made it clear on draft night he was ticked off he fell so far. But as Johnson wrote Sunday night, "all the anxiety and stress I'd been carrying was immediately replaced with joy" when the Cardinals took him.
"That's when I realized that I'm going back to the place where I had spent the last few months working towards this moment — a place I love," Johnson wrote. "Before the Draft, I was working out in Arizona, telling everyone how AZ had become one of my favorite places. And now, I've been drafted there."
Johnson talked about his injured knee, the one that caused that draft drop. More than two years ago, he said, he had cartilage removed from the knee. He emphasized he has had "ZERO problems" with the knee. It was turf toe that sidelined him part of his final year at Michigan, and a hamstring that limited him during OTAs and minicamp this offseason.
Clearly, the frustration about the knee narrative remains. Which makes sense.
But at the end of the piece comes perhaps the most important part of Johnson's message, when he said "the Cardinals are building something special with their coaches, culture and players."
My mission is clear.
- Prove everyone wrong.
- Prove myself right.
- Another ring to match the Natty.
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