Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on Arizona Cardinals No. 31 David Johnson
The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a look at Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson who looks to build upon the success from his rookie season.
There are exactly 31 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.
The Countdown to Kickoff series began with a look at No. 99 Joey Bosa and has continued on everyday since (check out all of the posts here).
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Players like Byron Jones, Davon House, Jerick McKinnon and Kam Chancellor would all be interesting NFL players who wear number 31 to profile, however it was a big time running back who appears to have an incredibly bright future in the league who stood out here.
Let’s take a look at Arizona Cardinals young and exciting running back David Johnson.
The Cardinals specifically targeted Johnson in the 2015 NFL Draft, taking him in the third round (86th overall) fresh out of the strong FCS program Northern Iowa.
Johnson clearly had the physical tools for the NFL, but there were plenty of questions about his ability to make such a large step from low-level college football to the NFL. That being said, it did not take Johnson long to quiet his doubters.
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Johnson immediately burst on to the scene for the Cardinals, showing off his big play ability with a 55-yard touchdown reception in their Week 1 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Despite his impressive debut, the Cardinals brought Johnson along slowly before they were forced to give him a larger role down the stretch.
With running backs Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson dealing with injuries, the Cardinals gave Johnson a full opportunity later in the season, starting with his 22-carry, 99-yard performance in Week 12 against the St. Louis Rams.
Two weeks later against the Philadelphia Eagles, Johnson cemented his ability as a big-time performer with an impressive 29-carry, 187-yard and three touchdown performance.
With an incredible combination of power, athleticism and raw speed, Johnson proved that he is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Simply put, this guy is special; but don’t take my word for it.
Watch Johnson on the field for one play and you can see that this guy has the ability to be a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. He has the speed to beat the defense on the outside, the power to truck through would-be tacklers and is an incredibly natural receiver out of the backfield.
Johnson does need to become more consistent in order to be considered one of the best running backs in the NFL, but he undoubtedly has the raw ability to make that happen.
He enters the 2016 season as the over-whelming favorite to be the primary back for the Cardinals. A complete back with ridiculous raw ability, Johnson could be the missing piece for an already loaded Cardinals’ offense.
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With even more opportunity expected this season, the sky is truly the limit for this young back.