Baltimore Ravens: 5 Running Back Draft Targets

Nov 15, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson (8) runs the ball as the Florida State Seminoles beat the Miami Hurricanes 30-26 at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Duke Johnson – Miami

Miami’s Duke Johnson shares some similarities to Ameer Abdullah. Johnson is 5’9″ and 207 pounds. Like Abdullah, Johnson is a versatile player on offense.

Nov 15, 2014; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Duke Johnson (8) runs against Florida State Seminoles during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Johnson has explosive speed, making him tough to tackle. He’s a courageous runner, too, and will finish runs.

Why he can be so valuable in the NFL is his versatility. Johnson was a star running the ball in Miami, but he was also effective in the passing game and as a returner.

In his three years with Miami, Johnson ran the ball 526 times for 3,519 yards and 26 touchdowns. As well as this, he caught 69 passes for 719 yards and four touchdowns.

With the recent release of Jacoby Jones, the Ravens would benefit from help in the return game. Johnson can provide that.

Between 2012-13, Johnson returned 48 kickoffs for 1,288 yards and two touchdowns. In both seasons, his longest return was 95 yards.

It’s hard to know which round Johnson will be picked in. With such a deep class of running backs, many are projecting him to go between late in the first to early in the second, while others have him rated as a late second-round to third-round selection.

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