Roschon Johnson (Bears) NFL Draft Preview
Post-Draft Fantasy Impact
Roschon Johnson, who was a backup to Bijan Robinson for a lot of his college career, ended up getting drafted in the fourth round as the 115th player off the board. He was the eighth Running Back off the board.
I actually don’t mind this landing spot for Johnson, since the Bears are trying to rebuild and already let David Montgomery walk this offseason. That leaves Khalil Herbert and newly signed D’Onta Foreman as the main backs for the Bears.
Currently, there is a lot of hype for Johnson. Some believe he will take the starting role quickly. Some believe he should be compared to Derrick Henry. His Running Back Coach at Texas thinks he will be a starter in the NFL. Even Johnson himself said he couldn’t wait for practice to start so he can start hitting people.
This could be possibly one of the best steals of the draft. As I mentioned before the draft, Johnson was a freak athlete who also was a Quarterback. He is a big player who isn’t afraid of contact. And the only reason he wasn’t more hyped coming out of college was because he had a generational talent in Bijan Robinson in front of him.
Johnson most likely will slot in behind both Foreman and Herbert to start the season. Foreman is on a one-year deal and Herbert’s rookie contract is ending soon, so this may be more of a dynasty play for now. That said, Foreman has had his share of injuries (including the achilles tear), so Johnson could see a lot of work should one of the current backs go down. I also could see Johnson leapfrogging Foreman for playing time if he plays well.
Most likely Johnson will not be drafted in redraft leagues, but he could be a big waiver wire addition sometime in the season if he plays well or Foreman/Herbert suffer injuries.
Roschon Johnson NFL Draft Preview
Roschon Johnson committed to Texas as a Quarterback but never saw the field under center. Due to injuries at the Running Back position, the Longhorns moved Johnson to position relatively quickly.
And Johnson took the opportunity to lead Texas in rushing in 2019. As a freshman, he rushed 123 times for 649 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown.
From there, Johnson took a backseat to Bijan Robinson. Still, Johnson was highly involved in the offense, rushing 80 times for 418 yards and six touchdowns.
In his final two seasons for Texas, Johnson rushed 96 times for 569 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, and rushed 93 times for 554 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. Overall, he averaged 5.6 ypc.
Johnson will probably go in Round Five or later.
RB3 is Roschon Johnson.
If he wasn’t behind Bijan, the chatter about this kid would be a lot different. 🤘 pic.twitter.com/Z4rl2sfgZx— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) April 6, 2023
Measurables
- 6′ 219 lbs
- 40-yard dash – 4.58 seconds
- Vertical jump – 31.5″
- Broad Jump – 10’2″
POSITIVES
Roschon Johnson is considered one of the more underrated players in this year’s draft. He is a freak athlete who proved his athleticism by effortlessly switching from Quarterback to Running Back in his first college season. He probably would have shown even more if Bijan Robinson hadn’t shown up.
He is a great size for a Running Back, both tall and large enough to make him difficult to bring down. He tends to always fall forwards.
Johnson can stop and start with ease and is great in open spaces.
He has good vision and makes decisions quickly, which allows him to hit holes before they close.
Johnson has the strength to shake off initial tacklers and enough speed to pick up big gains.
He also is a decent blocker, thanks to his size, and can at least slow down opposing blitzers.
Per @PFF_Mike, Roschon forced a missed tackle on 45% of his carries over the last two season, which was best in the country
I landed on a Wayne Gallman comp, which I know all of you are going to hate
So instead… what player does Roschon Johnson remind you most of? pic.twitter.com/eUifX6N2u0
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 10, 2023
NEGATIVES
Johnson really doesn’t have too many flaws in his game (from what we saw). He obviously was a backup for most of his career, so really we don’t have as much to go on as other Backs in this draft class.
He doesn’t have a ton of pass-catching experience, but it doesn’t seem to be a red flag to many scouts.
Johnson isn’t super fluid in his movements, since he probably didn’t work on it a ton at the Quarterback position.
He runs more upright, making him easier to take down when tacklers go for his legs.
GRADE – B-
After studying up on Roschon Johnson, it’s apparent he is a freak athlete who has the capability of being a contributor early in his career.
He can catch, block, and run, all things he got most of his experience in only after switching to Running Back as a freshman.
He has great size for an NFL Back, and decent enough speed to break open big plays.
He is a little rough around the edges since he is still learning the position (compared to other Backs), and may be easy to take down when targeting his lower body.
Overall, Johnson seems like he is in line for a good NFL career. He may not be a top-five fantasy Running Back type of player, but he could easily be a steal of the draft based on his skill set. If he lands on a team in need of Running Backs, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a workhorse back.
Happily married father of two boys. I love all sports, although prefer watching them since I’m a wildly mediocre athlete. And that’s why I write fantasy football articles! I’ve been writing for Fantasyfootballcalculator for over six years now. Besides that, I enjoy watching Badger football and basketball even though it raises my blood pressure. In my downtime, I enjoy traveling with my family, playing video games with friends, and golfing.
