Arizona Cardinals: David Johnson’s ‘Top 100’ ranking is just right
By Tyler Olson
In just his second season, Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson was voted the 12th best player in the league in 2016 for the ‘Top 100’
The rise to fame for David Johnson was fast and a blessing in disguise for Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim. After losing out on drafting Ameer Abdullah in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Cardinals were forced to choose the next man on their big board which just so happened to be Johnson.
Now two years removed after being chosen in the third round out of Northern Iowa, Johnson is one of the best — if not the best — all-around running backs in the NFL with over 3,000 all-purpose yards and 32 touchdowns. Abdullah, on the other hand, has just under 1,000 yards and only four touchdowns on his resume, admittedly due to injuries that have plagued him.
We all expected Johnson to take over head coach Bruce Arians’ offense this past season after showcasing his skills as a rookie. In just five starts he had over 1,000 all-purpose yards including 12 touchdowns along with one kickoff returned for six.
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That momentum pushed him up the depth chart, past the likes of Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson, en route to a pro bowl season in 2016. While he didn’t lead the league in rushing yards, Johnson was the league’s most complete back finishing the year with 2,118 yards (1,239 rushing, 879 receiving) and 20 touchdowns.
Listed as a running back, Johnson’s greatest strength may not even be taking the handoff from the quarterback (after all he was a wide receiver at the start of his UNI career). He accumulated 879 yards through the air thanks to 80 receptions, and Pro Football Focus rated him as the NFL’s best receiver in 2016.
And now you know why his NFL peers ranked him as the 12th best player in the league.
While Johnson may be ranked 12th best in the league, he’s surely Arizona’s most valuable player. Without his skill-set the Cardinals’ future on offense would be abysmal with aging veterans and injury-prone skill players.
The spotlight in Arizona’s offense will once again be on Johnson to carry the load. Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald are still around but for how long? A large part in the offense’s struggles last season was Palmer’s inconsistency along with depth at the wide receiver position.
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A healthy and productive Johnson will be vital for the Cardinals to push for a playoff spot and NFC West title in 2017. And you can bet he’ll be aiming for that No. 1 spot next spring.