Passing Game
Further to his ability as a ball carrier, Johnson also needs to offer teams something in the passing game in order to justify an early draft pick. While Auburn didn’t use running backs extensively in the passing game in terms of route concepts, he did show the basic ability to catch the ball:
Auburn did sometimes line him up out wide in order to get him the ball in space, and it’s not hard to see why based on the following play:
Johnson wasn’t used extensively as a pass protector at Auburn, but he did at least show some basic skills and, crucially, willingness on the few occasions when he was asked to pass protect:
Johnson isn’t going to come in and make a McCaffrey-like contribution to a team’s passing game, but he does flash when targeted in space as a receiver and with work, could at least be a competent pass protector.
Johnson is one of the hardest players to tie down in terms of value in recent draft classes due to the unusual style with which he runs. If he can make use of his ample athleticism in order to offer a more consistent downhill running threat, he could become a nightmare for NFL defenses; while it’s hard to imagine him completely busting, it is certainly not beyond imagining that his hesitancy behind the line of scrimmage could be harder to shed than hoped and he could be more of an all-or-nothing running threat. While his running style is quite different, possibly his best comparison in terms of projection is Derrick Henry, who’s talent was never in question, only how he might work in an NFL scheme.
Best Case NFL Comparison: Demarco Murray
Worst Case NFL Comparison: George Atkinson
One Sentence To Tell Your Friends: “Has all of the core traits teams look for in a running back, and if he can run with a little more urgency then he could be a star, but right now his production looks to be tied to his ability to avoid early contact.”
Grade: B
