Kerryon Johnson Is One Of The Most Underrated Running Back Prospects In The 2018 NFL Draft.
Kerryon Johnson
Kerryon Johnson, running back from Auburn, is one of the most well rounded running back prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft. His strong combination of power, balance, vision, and patience, coupled with his violent and effort-driven running style help make him a very intriguing prospect that will likely make him a good value pick if he falls due to the depth of this very strong 2018 running back class.
He has all of the tools to be a three-down running back at the next level and is talented enough to be an immediate contributor on whatever NFL team drafts him.
Kerryon Johnson Strengths:
Kerryon Johnson Has Good Vision And Patience
It all starts at the line of scrimmage. While Kerryon Johnson doesn’t have the elite level vision of someone like a Nick Chubb, but Kerryon Johnson certainly has good vision and ranks somewhere in the upper tier of that area in this 2018 running back class. He doesn’t necessarily have the elite lateral agility to fully utilize his cutback lanes and cross back across his blockers, but his vision helps him correctly identify running lanes and find holes in the defense.
Something that immediately stands out when watching Kerryon Johnson is his patience. He takes his time behind the line of scrimmage and uses jump cuts to his advantage. Despite his consistent patience, Johnson rarely finds himself in trouble behind the line of scrimmage. Some of this can be attributed to good offensive line play, but Kerryon Johnson does a good job of recognizing pressure from the defense and getting upfield before it becomes problematic.
On the play below, watch Kerryon Johnson take his time behind the line of scrimmage and let his blocking develop in front of him. He is careful not to lag behind his pulling lineman too far, minimizing the risk of getting caught behind the line of scrimmage. He finds the running lane, breaks out from behind his blocker cleanly and shows off his tough running style as he pushes forward for the tough yards.
Something that you will notice about Kerryon Johnson is that he has very good situational awareness. In short yardage situations, Kerryon Johnson does a good job of balancing his patience with urgency. This is important in short-yardage situations. Paired with his tough running style and exemplary effort level, Kerryon Johnson is among the best prospects in terms of short yardage situations.
Watch in the play below how Kerryon Johnson runs patiently but makes sure to keep moving forward while he waits for a running lane. He keeps enough forward momentum to attack the line of scrimmage when the opportunity presents itself. He does a nice job of picking his way through traffic and finishing the run with strength to convert for the touchdown.
