The Chicago Bears selected running back Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, and he’s already been making waves at rookie minicamp.
Johnson, who was overlooked as Bijan Robinson’s backup at Texas, was considered by many to be a Day 2 selection. Even general manager Ryan Poles admitted he was shocked that Johnson was still available in the fourth round.
It’s for that reason that Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar believes Johnson was an absolute steal for the Bears on Day 3, where he has plenty of potential to emerge as a playmaker on offense.
Had Johnson been in a different running back room than the one he was in with the Longhorns, he would have seen more carries than the 94 he had in 2022. But when you’re backing up Bijan Robinson, perhaps the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson, that’s how it goes — and why Johnson was available to the Bears with the 115th pick in the fourth round.
Then, you watch Johnson’s tape, and you realize that he forced 46 missed tackles and had nine runs of 15 or more yards on those 94 carries, and he begins to look a lot like a starting running back at the NFL level. He has serious power and movement skills, and would have been second-day pick under different circumstances.
While Johnson will likely start his rookie year as the third running back on the depth chart behind Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman, there’s potential for him to emerge as a long-term starter for the Bears.
He appears to be the full package — a three-down running back with passing catching ability and someone who’s solid in pass protection, where Herbert and Foreman lack.
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