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5. Will Johnson (Cornerback) – Arizona Cardinals<\/h3>\n
Will Johnson<\/a> was selected by the Arizona Cardinals<\/a> in the second round of the NFL Draft (47th overall). Johnson brings explosive playmaking, physical tackling, dependable run-game support, and versatile skill to the Cardinals\u2019 secondary. He pairs his physical abilities with remarkable football IQ, backed by three years of experience as a starter at Michigan. After missing last season due to injury, Will Johnson is now primed to make a major impact in the NFL.<\/p>\n Johnson joins a Cardinals secondary that has lacked impact players in recent years. With Arizona adding Walter Nolen III and Josh Sweat up front, the team is clearly investing heavily in its defense. That makes Will Johnson the perfect fit\u2014his elite playmaking ability gives the secondary the spark it\u2019s been missing. With a strengthened defensive line creating opportunities, Johnson has the chance to step up and establish himself as one of the league\u2019s best.<\/p>\n NFL DRAFT HIGHLIGHTS: DB Will Johnson | Michigan Football<\/a><\/p>\n Will Johnson breaking out this season feels inevitable\u2014don\u2019t be surprised when he becomes the talk of the league.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mykel Williams<\/a> was selected by the San Francisco 49ers<\/a> in the first round of the NFL Draft (11th overall). Williams has the traits and tools to become a premier edge rusher in the NFL. At 6\u20195\u201d, he\u2019s an elite athlete with a relentless motor and standout run-defense skills. Versatile enough to play both inside and outside, his youth only adds to a sky-high ceiling for potential. Mykel Williams is the ideal edge prospect, poised to break out and become a dominant force in the NFL.<\/p>\n Mykel Williams enters the NFL as a project prospect, with areas of his game still needing refinement. Fortunately, he landed with the perfect franchise to develop his talent. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and Defensive Coordinator Robert Saleh have a proven track record of unlocking defensive linemen\u2014Nick Bosa being a prime example. Williams has the potential to continue that tradition.<\/p>\n While it may take Mykel Williams a few weeks to adjust to the NFL, don\u2019t be surprised if he emerges as one of the league\u2019s best by season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n Mason Graham<\/a> was selected by the Cleveland Browns<\/a> in the first round of the NFL Draft (fifth overall). Graham is the ideal defensive tackle to bolster any NFL defensive line. With an explosive first step and elite athleticism, he can penetrate gaps and disrupt plays as they develop. Add his versatility, athleticism, bend, and relentless motor, and you have a standout defensive tackle. Poised for a breakout, Mason Graham is set to dominate at the next level.<\/p>\n Mason Graham isn\u2019t the only force on Cleveland\u2019s defensive front. Myles Garrett has been waiting for a running mate, and now he\u2019s got the top defensive tackle from the 2025 NFL Draft. With offenses keying in on Garrett, Graham steps into an ideal situation where he can shine among his rookie peers. The attention Garrett draws will give Graham the space to wreak havoc and pile up stats.<\/p>\n Mason Graham enters the NFL as the top rookie defensive tackle, and it won\u2019t be long before he proves that title belongs to him.<\/b><\/p>\n Jalon Walker<\/a> was selected by the Atlanta Falcons<\/a> in the first round of the NFL Draft (16th overall). Walker is one of the most exciting prospects in the draft, capable of playing both linebacker and edge. With exceptional athleticism, blazing speed, natural instincts, and elite versatility, he\u2019s easily one of the most talked-about players in the class. Jalon Walker has the talent to transform the Falcons\u2019 defense and dominate at the next level.<\/p>\n The Falcons\u2019 pass rush has struggled in recent years, desperately needing a true number-one edge presence. Enter Jalon Walker\u2014ready to take the mantle as Atlanta\u2019s top force on the defensive front. Even with Jalon Walker at the heart of every opponent\u2019s game plan, his versatility makes him nearly impossible to predict. Offenses won\u2019t know whether he\u2019s dropping into coverage or crashing the line to pressure the quarterback.<\/p>\n Jalon Walker\u2019s versatility gives him a clear path to ranking among the NFL\u2019s top rookies.<\/b><\/p>\n Abdul Carter<\/a> was selected by the New York Giants<\/a> in the first round of the NFL Draft (third overall). Carter was not only the best defensive player but arguably the top overall talent in the 2025 NFL Draft. His elite speed, athleticism, versatility, production, and playmaking instincts made him the third overall pick. As one of the most hyped prospects in the class, Abdul Carter is ready to meet\u2014and possibly exceed\u2014expectations.<\/p>\n Abdul Carter joins a stacked Giants defensive front. With Pro Bowlers and rising stars around him, it might seem difficult for Carter to carve out a role. But the abundance of talent actually plays to his advantage. With Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence handling the pass rush and Bobby Okereke dropping into coverage, Carter has the freedom to move around without weakening the defense. With support all around him, Carter has the perfect opportunity to break out and make his mark in the NFL.<\/p>\n Main Image: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" These five rookies are poised to take the NFL by storm this season and could emerge as contenders for Defensive Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5616,"featured_media":245653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647,33,27,8,20,31],"tags":[32605,32992,279,115,264,33220,32871,33272,92,40,31996,52,33221],"class_list":["post-244709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","category-cardinals","category-falcons","category-browns","category-giants","category-49ers","tag-2025-nfl-draft","tag-abdul-carter","tag-arizona-cardinals","tag-atlanta-falcons","tag-cleveland-browns","tag-jalon-walker","tag-mason-graham","tag-mykel-williams","tag-new-york-giants","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-rookies","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-will-johnson"],"modified_by":"Drew Crabtree","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5616"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244709"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":245656,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244709\/revisions\/245656"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}4. Mykel Williams (Edge) – San Francisco 49ers<\/h3>\n
3. Mason Graham (Defensive Tackle) – Cleveland Browns<\/h3>\n
2. Jalon Walker (Linebacker\/Edge) – Atlanta Falcons<\/h3>\n
1. Abdul Carter (Linebacker\/Edge) – New York Giants<\/h3>\n