Chicago Bears: Team is very excited with Johnson at running back

While the Chicago Bears are excited about their results in the 2023 NFL Draft, they are especially excited about having Roschon Johnson at running back.

The 2023 NFL Draft has come and gone. The Chicago Bears had 10 picks to try to improve the team. While the selections were not very sexy, general manager Ryan Poles did a very good job of filling many of the holes on the roster.

Poles had a plan to make the team bigger, stronger, faster, and more athletic. He stuck to that plan and did exactly that. The Bears are now stronger in the trenches. Additionally, they have length, speed, and hard hitters in the secondary. We could see the return of the Monsters of the Midway soon.

While Poles and the Bears are excited about this draft class, there is one player in particular they are excited about having — running back Roschon Johnson.

Johnson did not get a lot of attention in college. He had the misfortune of backing up Bijan Robinson at the University of Texas. Robinson was the All-World running back who many draft experts projected as the best prospect since Saquon Barkley.

While Robinson set the world on fire, Johnson was a more than capable backup. He ran for 2,190 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per run. Additionally, he had 23 touchdowns.

Not bad for a backup.

Surprised at Chicago Bears picking up another running back

A lot of people were surprised that the Chicago Bears went for a running back so early. After the Bears lost their RB1, David Montgomery, via free agency, Poles moved to replace him.

Poles signed D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer to fill in the void. Foreman is an every-down back who had 914 rushing yards in 2022 with the Carolina Panthers. Homer is a career backup who averages 5.5 yards per rush. Additionally, he averages 8.9 yards per catch.

With Foreman and Homer, together with Khalil Herbert and Trestan Ebner, the thinking was that the running backs room was pretty much set. Some people thought Poles would pick up a running back late to give Ebner a fight for the final spot in the room.

Instead, Poles went with someone who could eventually become a starter.

Johnson is a similar runner to Montgomery. He won’t beat you with speed. Montgomery ran a 4.63-40 at the NFL Combine. Johnson ran a 4-.58.

What both runners do is dish out punishment. They will drop their shoulders and give as much punishment as they receive. Additionally, they both do a good job of making moves to avoid would-be tacklers.

Furthermore, of all the players in the backfield, Johnson is probably the best blocker. That is another thing Montgomery did well. It is important to help quarterback Justin Fields get some time to throw.

Johnson is a dependable runner. In his college career, he had only one fumble. The Bears had too many moments in which they turned the ball over in critical situations. Giving the ball to Johnson would alleviate the problem.

Something Johnson can do that gives him a leg up is his receiving ability. He caught 56 passes and averaged 7.5 yards per catch. While Homer has a higher yards-per-catch average, Johnson is more capable of being a full-time back.

It would not be a surprise to see Johnson see a lot more snaps in the middle of the season than he will at the start of the season. He fits head coach Matt Eberflus’ HITS principle. If he is able to put it together he will definitely be the future of the Chicago Bears offense.