Indianapolis Colts: Making the case for Duke Johnson

After landing not one but two former Hurricanes in free agency (Frank Gore and Andre Johnson) the Indianapolis Colts could go for the hat-trick and spend a draft pick on Miami’s latest stud running back Duke Johnson. The 5’9”, 206 junior is an all-around weapon that could make the Colts’ offense more unpredictable. Let’s see how “the Duke” fits Indy’s offense after a quick breakdown of his college career.

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Johnson, a five-star recruit by Scout.com and Rivals.com, played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2012, setting a school freshman-record for rushing yards (947) and touchdowns (10) – which is no easy task if you play for the “U”. On top of that he set a single-season school record with 892 kick return yards and two touchdowns.

His 2013 was cut short by an ankle injury after eight games but before that he was able to average 174.1 all-purpose yards per game, with a total of 920 rushing yards and 6 TDs.

Johnson started all 13 games in 2014, rushing for 1652 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns. He also added 38 receptions for 421 yards and three more scores. He wasn’t featured as the kick returner anymore to prevent more injuries. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry in college, matching his career-high of 6.8 (recorded in 2012) last season. Against Virgina Tech the junior running back set a career-high with 249 rushing yards on 29 carries and scoring both on a run and with a reception. He leaves the “U” as the all-time leading rusher (3519 yards) and a nomination to the First-Team All-ACC squad.

At the scouting combine Johnson hurt his draft stock a bit running a not-so-great 4.54 40-yard dash. He did not improved his time significantly at Miami’s Pro Day (he clocked a 4.50 and a 4.51 ) but he shouldn’t worry too much because, numbers aside, his tape speaks for itself.

Duke Johnson is an explosive runner that does the most damage when running to the outside rather than between the tackles. His incredible burst is matched up well by good hips stability that gives him great balance, allowing him to make quick cuts and make defenders miss in the blink of an eye. Despite his small frame Johnson isn’t afraid of contact and is strong enough to break tackles or fall forward on inside runs.

A big part of Johnson’s game is represented by his excellent skills in the passing attack: he has above-average hands and adapts well when the ball is off-target. He runs very good wheel routes and every other route from the backfield as well. Johnson creates a mismatch against linebackers or safeties in man coverage and he is also a decent pass protector, even though that aspect of his game needs to be improved. His versatility reminds me of Giovani Bernard and I could definitely see Johnson play a role like Bernard’s in the NFL.

He had a concerning number of fumbles in college (six over the last two seasons) and his durability in the NFL might scare some teams (he suffered a concussion early in 2013, the aforementioned broken ankle and was often banged up in 2014) but there are no major red flags when you look at Johnson as a prospect.

NFL.com’s draft expert Lance Zierlein wrote this when he analyzed Duke Johnson:

[…] His explosive quickness and elusiveness should help him adapt quickly to NFL speed. His feel and courage as a one-cut runner should earn him instant playing time. Johnson’s lack of pass-protection skills and concerns about his durability could force him into a committee situation. He’s perfectly suited for a role as a zone-scheme back.

I believe the Colts would be a great fit for Johnson who could play a minor role while Frank Gore is on the team and learn from him. From a scheme standpoint Johnson should have no problems and could gain more and more snaps thanks to his ability as a receiving back. Would it be a reach to draft him the first round? Not at all, especially considering that the Colts sit at the end of the second round too and “the Duke” will never fall that far. If you like a player as an early second rounder (#33-#38 overall) taking him at the end of the first round (#29 overall) is not a reach at all.

Next: Should the Colts draft C Cameron Erving?

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