Each week this offseason, we’ll be focusing on one position and how the Panthers may choose to address their needs; whether they’re in the market for an upgrade at starter or just a reliable backup, every player on the 53-man roster is going to be important in 2018.
This is Running Back Week.
Amongst the recognizable running backs in the 2018 draft, one name that has somewhat fallen to the wayside is that of Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson; even after Johnson amassed 1,585 yards and 20 total touchdowns in twelve games last season despite struggling with nagging injuries late in the season, Johnson’s draft projections vary wildly, with some having him rated as a borderline first round prospect, while others have him currently being taken in the fifth round of the draft. With that in mind, Johnson could be an option for the Panthers on the second day of the draft; so what could Johnson offer the Panthers?
The Patience Of A Saint
Johnson has drawn comparisons to Le’Veon Bell from some quarters, largely due to his patient running style which places great emphasis on vision and his ability to read running lanes. At his best, Johnson shows the ability to wait for the running lane to develop before accelerating through it and into the second level:
This vision can best be seen by comparing how he treats the same play very differently based on what is in front of him; on this first play, Johnson sees the defense overcommit to the outside run and simply cuts back inside for a moderate gain:
And then, on this next play, when the outside corner comes in off the edge, he merely bounces the run outside to pick up the first down:
This vision is both impressive and rare, and does allow Johnson to pick up yardage with apparent ease. There is, however, a downside, as the amount of time Johnson spends finding the gap behind the line of scrimmage makes him vulnerable to penetration; the following play appears to be some version of base, with Johnson hesitating slightly before the line in order to set up the running lane:
Yet on the play prior to the above rushing attempt, a similar if not identical play, the penetration by the defensive line knocks Johnson off course and in so doing, allows the gap to close before Johnson can get through it.
In this case, this is as much to do with the play design as Johnson’s running style, but there are a number of occasions on tape where Johnson’s hesitancy allows the play to be blown up. What Johnson does have, however, is an ability to create yardage even from unlikely situations, through a combination of balance and length – on the following play, the run is completely blown up by the defensive end, but Johnson is still able to pick up the first down by hesitating to avoid the defender before using his length to pop over for the first down:
Johnson uses this combination of vision and length to pick up decent yardage from fairly unremarkable carries, and it can often be deceptive how effective Johnson is being until you check the yard markers:
The history of running backs with this patient running style is somewhat mixed, for every Le’Veon Bell there are a handful of busts. With that in mind, Johnson will need to convince teams of his value beyond simply his ability to read running lanes.
Next Up: Power Potential
