Arizona Cardinals: Land Big-Time Talent in David Johnson

By Dan Schmelzer | May 5, 2015

The Arizona Cardinals have a solid roster filled with depth throughout. Sure, they are not loaded everywhere, but they entered the 2015 NFL Draft with few specific needs.

Running back was one position that the Cardinals seemed guaranteed to address. After totaling a lowly 81.8 yards per game on the ground last season (second lowest total in the NFL), finding a running back was probably wise. Andre Ellington was the primary back for the Cardinals in 2014, and while the running game struggles were not entirely his fault, he did nothing to cement his position as the starter.

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With their third-round pick (86th overall) the Cardinals took running back David Johnson. While Johnson did not play against the toughest competition at his time at Northern Iowa, he is a very talented back who has a legitimate NFL skill-set.

Johnson is a fair bet to at least be a solid complimentary piece to Ellington as a rookie. At 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, Johnson is a big running back with pure breakaway speed and exciting raw athleticism.

He shows good power, and solid field vision. Johnson was a workhorse back for Northern Iowa carrying the ball 866 times for 4,682 yards throughout his four-year career, including 287 carries for 1,553 yards last season.

Ellington struggled mightily with injuries last season, which is part of the reason that the Cardinals felt the need to find a compliment for him in this draft. Johnson showed great durability in college, with his big body allowing him to take a lot of contact. The NFL is a whole different game, but Johnson is a big and strong player, injuries should not be a major problem for him.

Johnson is a patient runner who allows his blocks to take place before hitting the hole with impressive explosion. This makes him a great fit for the Cardinals’ power running scheme.

His moves are decisive, with little to no dancing. His ability to make defenders miss in space is limited, but that’s just not the way he runs. That is more Ellington’s style which is another reason why these two could potentially compliment each other very well.

Johnson certainly has some upside as an explosive and bruising running back at the next level, but his receiving skills are the most exciting part of his game. He shows incredible route running ability for a running back, with deep and complex routes out of the backfield in his arsenal. Johnson has very reliable hands, and simply has a knack for getting open.

His most impressive game in college was last season against Iowa. In that game, Johnson totaled only 34 yards on the ground on 13 carries. However, he consistently abused Iowa’s linebackers en-route to a five reception, 203 yard performance. That is a 40.6 yards per reception average against top-notch Big Ten competition. Very impressive.

Expect the Cardinals to allow Johnson and Ellington an opportunity to battle it out for the starting running back spot in Training Camp. Some kind of time share is to be expected, and the two players do compliment each other very well. However, Johnson certainly has the talent to step up and take the job for good.

Based on his receiving skills alone, Johnson will make an impact for the Cardinals as a third down back. That is at minimum. His combination of power and speed gives him a massive amount of upside going forward. For a third round pick, that’s pretty good.

Next: Cardinals' First Round Pick D.J. Humphries a Wise Selection?

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