Storm Johnson (8) runs the ball. Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
UCF Knights running back Storm Johnson was a star in college last season, but his college success has been overshadowed by the success of projected top ten pick Blake Bortles, who also starred in the UCF backfield as the QB. Johnson isn’t viewed as one of the top running back prospects in the 2014 NFL Draft class, so he could be an excellent sleeper due to his agility, vision, and ability to have a high impact in the passing game.
Per sources close to FOX Sports’s Ross Jones, Johnson had pre-draft visits with the San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, and New England Patriots. We’ve known about the visits with the Falcons and 49ers, and the Falcons look like an excellent landing spot for him on paper. But the Patriots are a new team on the visit list to me, and they are looking to add a late-round RB into the current mix of Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen, and Branden Bolden after losing LeGarrette Blount to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.
The Patriots already have one of the league’s marquee pass-catching backs in Vereen, who is so versatile that he can even line up as a receiver in certain situations. But as we saw last season, Vereen is a bit injury-prone, so the Patriots could do well to add another back with top pass-catching ability. Johnson would fit that bill, and he’s also a good rusher who has starting upside. He’s big, strong, and has good burst and agility for his size despite mediocre speed and explosion, so he makes sense as a fit for the Patriots in the right round of the draft.