Tag: Kaleb Johnson

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

Will physical limitations come back to haunt Johnson in the pros?

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after a season he’d be hard-pressed to top. Before a true breakout season, he kicked off his collegiate career with an All-Big Ten honorable mention for leading the Hawkeyes in rushing as a true freshman.

Johnson missed three games in 2023 with a high-ankle sprain and wasn’t at his best. All of that would be forgiven in 2024 when the junior rusher earned himself plenty of attention that culminated in the following recognition: Big Ten RB of the Year, First-Team All-Big Ten, finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and a Second-Team Associated Press All-American.

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 224 pounds
40 time: 4.57 seconds

Such a decorated season suggests Johnson will easily translate to the professional ranks, but an uninspiring physical tool set may have something to say about it. He will struggle to enter Day 2 of the draft and profiles as a complementary piece rather than a three-down workhorse.

Table: RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa (2022-24)

Year Team Class G Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Y/A TD Rec Yds TD
2022* Iowa Fr 13 151 779 5.2 6 4 27 0
2023* Iowa So 10 117 463 4 3 3 25 0
2024* Iowa Jr 12 240 1,537 6.4 21 22 188 2
Career 35 508 2,779 5.5 30 29 240 2

*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)

Pros

  • A one-cut back who focuses on getting north to maximize his gains on every attempt
  • Patience to let blocks develop while maintaining a keen eye for the cutback
  • Contact balance is one of his better traits
  • Limited mileage on odometer
  • Showed a nose for the end zone in 2024
  • Physical stature to push the pile and shoulder a larger workload if needed
  • Runs with a natural cadence and is decisive once he picks his lane
  • Functional on outside zones and sweeps
  • Low aerial utilization isn’t fully representative of his respectable receiving skills
  • Will be at his best in a timing-based system that doesn’t give too much freedom for freelancing
  • Despite not being particularly elusive, he ranked in the top five of 2024 RBs in forcing missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus

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Cons

  • Likely isolated to being a two-down back in a zone-blocking scheme
  • Lacks breakaway speed
  • Slow to regather burst after coming to a standstill
  • Visibly lacks flexibility in his lower-body movements
  • Limited athletic profile and explosiveness combined with an unimpressive repertoire of open-field moves means an outsized reliance on blocking
  • Pass protection needs a lot of work
  • Limited experience on the route tree

Fantasy football outlook

His game has shades of former NFL running back David Johnson, although the Northern Iowa product was a better receiver than Iowa’s Johnson.

The best-case scenario: He overachieves in a zone-blocking design by improving his pass pro and managing to stay on the field for three downs. Even in that situation, he’s an RB2 candidate. The far more realistic assessment puts him in a shared backfield as a two-downer who may produce enough touchdowns to overcome a lack of yardage and receptions to sneak into the realm of matchup utility.

Given the wide range of possible utilization outcomes, Johnson will receive a dedicated update once the draft placement provides clarity on that front.

Podcast: Who are the top five RBs in the 2025 NFL draft?

The Browns may need a new running back earlier in the NFL draft than many expect. Who are the top five in the class they could target?

The Cleveland Browns could look for a running back in the 2025 NFL draft, so who are the best ones?

With All-Pro Nick Chubb entering free agency after back-to-back season-ending injuries, there is a ton of uncertainty at the running back position in Cleveland. While Chubb wants to return to Cleveland, there is much left up in the air right now for the team to navigate.

Good thing the guys over at Daft on Draft have watched the tape and have broken down their top five running backs in the NFL draft. They talk about it on the Daft on Draft Podcast. Could the Browns target one of these five guys?

This podcast can be heard on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also find it on YouTube below:

Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson on cusp of being a first-round talent in ESPN’s NFL draft rankings

Kaleb Johnson is ascending NFL draft boards.

Kaleb Johnson surprised the nation with his historic and record-breaking season for the Iowa Hawkeyes this past year. The season he had also saw him ascend NFL draft boards rapidly.

Johnson, who spent earlier seasons at Iowa splitting carries, was given the keys to the backfield and put on a show that drew attention from NFL teams nationwide.

With a declaration for the NFL draft, attention around Johnson has turned to where he could call home and how early he could go in the draft.

In ESPN’s most recent NFL draft prospect rankings, Kaleb Johnson finds himself on the cusp of being a first-round talent.

34. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

Height: 6-0 | Weight: 225

Johnson made the most of his first full season as a starter with 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. The powerful, downhill runner keeps defenders guessing with good short-area agility and a devastating stiff arm. He added 936 yards after first contact this season — seventh-most in the FBS — and enters the NFL with limited wear-and-tear after only 240 carries this season and 508 in his college career. – Matt Miller, ESPN

The only knock on Johnson’s draft stock comes at the expense of his position. In today’s era of football, running backs don’t carry the same weight as they used to.

Despite running backs being undervalued, Kaleb Johnson is a top talent that should see his name called during the second round of the NFL draft, if not sooner, and provide a team with an instant impact player.

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Two Iowa football stars crack ESPN’s final top 100 players of the 2024-25 season

Two Hawkeye stars getting their deserved shine.

The 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes college football season could be described by a two-word adjective. That adjective would be star power.

A team known for all 11 guys doing their jobs had a year that saw a star on each side of the ball shine brightly for all of the college football world to see.

Those stars, running back Kaleb Johnson and linebacker Jay Higgins, shined brightly enough to land on ESPN’s final top 100 players of the college football season.

Cracking the list as the No. 64 best player of the season is Jay Higgins, Iowa’s heart and soul on defense who was a brick wall during his time with the Hawkeyes.

64. Jay Higgins

LB, Iowa, Senior
Stats: 53 solo tackles, 1 sack, 2 FFs, 4 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR

Higgins earned unanimous All-American honors and was named the Big Ten’s Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. He finished second in the league with 120 tackles and four interceptions — no player in college football had more than 100 tackles with four picks. He topped the Big Ten with 120 tackles and a tackling rate of 92.3%. He also led the Hawkeyes with four interceptions and two forced fumbles. — Trotter

Ascending the list and cracking the top 20 is Kaleb Johnson, Iowa’s running back who put together a historic, record-breaking year for the Hawkeyes.

17. Kaleb Johnson

RB, Iowa, Junior
Stats: 240 carries, 1,537 yards, 21 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR

Johnson didn’t enter the season as Iowa’s starter, but he soon emerged as one of the nation’s best backs. He had 685 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in the first four games, averaged 5.6 yards per carry or better in the first nine games and reached the end zone at least once in the first 11 contests. Johnson was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and a second-team AP All-America selection. He set single-season team records for points (138), total touchdowns (23) and rushing touchdowns (21). — Rittenberg

Both Kaleb Johnson and Jay Higgins will live on in Iowa lore forever as each of them joined the elite club of being named consensus All-Americans.

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5 underclassmen Broncos could target early in 2025 NFL draft

Last week, 55 underclassmen declared for the 2025 NFL draft. These five prospects could be early-round targets for the Broncos.

Last week, 55 underclassmen declared for the 2025 NFL draft.

Of those underclassmen, five could be of particular early-round interest to the Broncos, who are set to select 20th and 51st overall in the first two rounds of April’s draft. Here’s a quick look at five early names to know.

1. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty: Yes, most pundits don’t expect him to fall to Denver, but it is a possible scenario. The Broncos could also consider trading up to land the top RB in the draft.

2. Michigan TE Colston Loveland: PSU’s Tyler Warren would be a dream pick for Denver, but if he’s not on the board, Loveland might be. He totaled 101 receptions for 1,231 yards and nine touchdowns in his final two years with the Wolverines.

3. Texas WR Matthew Golden: Denver needs to add more weapons for quarterback Bo Nix and Golden is coming off a 58-catch, 987-yard, nine-touchdown season as a junior.

4. Texas WR Isaiah Bond: Golden’s teammate, Bond, totaled 34 receptions for 540 yards and five touchdowns last fall.

5. Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson: If the Broncos don’t land Jeanty in the first, perhaps they’ll consider Johnson in the second. He rushed 240 times for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024.

Denver holds seven picks to use in the 2025 NFL draft (April 24-26).

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Three Iowa football players named Sporting News All-Americans

Sporting News tabs three Iowa football stars as 2024 All-Americans.

As the college football regular season has officially come to a close, Sporting News released its end-of-season All-American teams, with three Iowa football stars highlighting the announcement.

In the release, Hawkeyes‘  senior linebacker Jay Higgins, running back Kaleb Johnson, and punt returner Kaden Wetjen were recognized. Higgins and Johnson both were named to the first-team All-American roster, while Wetjen landed on the second-team squad.

As a result of the nominations, Higgins became a unanimous consensus All-American, while Johnson became a consensus All-American.

As for Higgins, the 6-foot-2, 232-pound senior was also honored as the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten.

A semifinalist for the Lombardi, Lott IMPACT, and Butkus awards, Higgins has racked up 118 total tackles this fall, which ranks second most in the Big Ten and 13th-most nationally. He also is the only player in the nation with over 100 tackles and four interceptions (tied for the most amongst linebackers from a Power 4 conference).

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Johnson’s impressive honors include a first-team All-America honoree by Walter Camp, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News, and second-team by the Associated Press (AP) and American Football Coaches Association of America (AFCA).

The junior running back was also voted Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He posted school single-season records in points (138), total touchdowns (23) and rushing scores (21). Johnson (6-foot, 225 pounds) rushed for 1,537 yards in 12 games, sixth-most in the country and third-most in program history.

Regarding Wetjen, the second-team Sporting News honoree was tabbed a first-team All-American punt returner by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and was previously awarded the 2024 Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and is a finalist for the Jet Award.

Wetjen, a 5-foot-10, 196-pound senior, is second in the FBS in punt return yards (312) and sixth in kickoff return yards (576) this season, including an 85-yard punt return touchdown against Northwestern.

These honors now provide Iowa with the distinction of being the only school to have a consensus All-American each of the last six seasons.

In program history, the Hawkeyes now have 33 consensus All-Americans, including 18 total in the Kirk Ferentz era and 12 over the last 11 seasons. The Hawkeyes have had multiple consensus All-Americans seven times throughout their illustrious history (1981, 1984, 2002, 2003, 2017, 2023, and 2024).

Iowa will play in the Dec. 30 TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs. No. 19 Missouri in Nashville, Tenn., at 1:30 p.m. CT, with the game televised on ESPN and on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.

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Iowa specialist named as AFCA All-American

Three Iowa football stars were honored with AFCA All-American distinctions.

On Dec. 13, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) revealed their end-of-season All-American rosters, with three Iowa football stars earning recognition.

Per the announcement, seniors Luke Elkin and Jay Higgins landed on the first-team list. At the same time, junior Kaleb Johnson claimed a spot on the second-team roster.

The AFCA is one of five outlets recognized by the NCAA to determine consensus All-Americans, along with the Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp, Sporting News, and Associated Press.

Jay Higgins

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Higgins, the Hawkeyes‘ defensive leader and permanent captain, was also honored as the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten, semifinalist for the Lombardi, Lott IMPACT, and Butkus awards.

Higgins totaled 118 tackles this season, ranking second most in the Big Ten and 13th-most nationally. He also is the only player in the nation with over 100 tackles and four interceptions (tied for the most amongst linebackers from a Power 4 conference).

Luke Elkin

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Elkin, who has been Iowa’s long snapper the past four seasons, gives the proper appreciation given his impact on the team during his tenure.

In addition to being named as a second-team all-conference honoree last week, he earned the team’s Next Man In Award (special teams) as a freshman, Hayden Fry Award winner as a sophomore and Coaches Appreciation Award as a junior. During his four seasons with Iowa, Elkin snapped for Rhys Dakin, Drew Stevens, and former Hawkeyes legend Tory Taylor.

Kaleb Johnson

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Rounding out the three is Kaleb Johnson, whose historic season earned him honors as a Walter Camp first-team All-American, the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year winner, first-team All-Big Ten selection, and a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.

On the season, he posted school single-season records in points (138), total touchdowns (23), and rushing scores (21), as well as the third-most rushing yards in program history (1,537).

With Johnson declaring for the NFL draft, he will finish his stellar 35-game career (22 starts) with 30 rushing touchdowns and 2,779 yards on 508 rushing attempts for an average of 5.5 yards per carry and 79.4 yards per game. Johnson also recorded 29 receptions for 240 yards and two scores during his tenure.

Iowa (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) will play in the Dec. 30 TransPerfect Music City Bowl vs. No. 19 Missouri (9-3, 5-3 SEC) from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., at 1:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised on ESPN and available on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.

Two Iowa Hawkeyes among CBS Sports Top 150 college football players of 2024

Two Hawkeyes are among the elite.

The 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes were buoyed by stars on both sides of the ball, a bit of a contrast to what felt like the norm for prior years.

This season, they ran the ball well on offense and were absolutely stifling against the run game on defense.

That can be credited to running back Kaleb Johnson and linebacker Jay Higgins, both consensus All-Americans this year.

Both now find themselves included in CBS Sports Top 150 college football players of 2024.

Coming in at No. 34 on the list is Kaleb Johnson after his historic season for the Hawkeyes.

34. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

Johnson is an exceptional zone runner with patience, vision, and speed to break away. He rushed for more than 1,500 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry, and scored 21 touchdowns despite being the focal point of opposing defenses. His success also highlights the strength of Iowa’s offensive line. – Blake Brockeymeyer, CBS Sports

Kaleb Johnson ran for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns behind Iowa’s much-improved offensive line. He added two more touchdowns and 188 receiving yards.

He set Iowa’s single-season record for rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns.

The second Hawkeye on the list, linebacker Jay Higgins, comes in at No. 68.

68. Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa

Higgins continued his excellent play for Iowa’s stingy defense, finishing the season with 118 tackles and a career-high four interceptions. Known for his instincts and nose for the ball, Higgins has also improved his coverage ability, solidifying his reputation as one of the most consistent defenders in Hawkeye history. – Blake Brockeymeyer, CBS Sports

Jay Higgins did it all for Iowa this year on defense. He had 118 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a sack, and two forced fumbles while also contributing to the pass defense with nine pass deflections and four interceptions

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Chiefs scouting report: Iowa Hawkeyes RB Kaleb Johnson

The Kansas City #Chiefs could look to select a player like Iowa #Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson in the 2025 NFL draft.

Losing Isiah Pacheco to an injury for more than a month revealed that the Kansas City Chiefs need to add depth to their running back room. The 2025 NFL draft features several prominent running backs who could come off the board as early as the second round.

Iowa Hawkeyes standout Kaleb Johnson is a thickly built 225-pound running back with superb vision and contact balance. He uses precise footwork to make quick decisions and pick the right gaps. Johnson patiently presses close to the line of scrimmage while the run lane develops before fearlessly accelerating into the hole.

Johnson makes the most of his size by breaking through arm tackles, churning his legs through contact, and finishing plays falling forward. He makes defenders miss in open space with stiff arms, spin moves, and head and shoulder fakes. Johnson makes surprisingly sharp cuts and side steps for a running back with his size.

Johnson lacks the elite speed to erase pursuit, but analysts underrate his second-level burst. He challenges linebackers with his mid-play acceleration and uses his excellent open-field vision to set up blockers or find cutback opportunities.

Johnson’s agility puts a cap on his creativity. He struggles to make defenders miss in tight spaces and lacks the lateral explosiveness for sudden jump cuts. Johnson keeps his quarterback clean in pass protection but doesn’t have much experience running routes.

Kaleb Johnson becomes Iowa football’s next consensus All-American

Iowa gains another legendary consensus All-American.

On the heels of linebacker Jay Higgins etching his name into Iowa Hawkeyes lore, he gets to do so with a teammate who resides on the offensive side of the ball.

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson has officially become Iowa’s next consensus All-American. The breakout year from the Hawkeyes running back had him among the best backs in the nation all year long and he is receiving proper recognition for it.

With being named a First-Team All-American by more than half of the outlets, Johnson secured his spot among Iowa greats.

Johnson is now Iowa’s 33rd consensus First-Team All-American in school history and the 12th for the Hawkeyes in 12 years to continue an incredible run of talent and development.

Kaleb Johnson was awarded First-Team All-American recognition from Sporting News, Walter Camp, and the Football Writers Association of America.

Johnson received a Second-Team All-American nod from the Associated Press and AFCA.

On the year, Kaleb Johnson ran for 1,537 yards on 240 carries and 6.4 yards per rush. He found the endzone 21 times and averaged 128.1 rushing yards per game.

Through the air, Johnson added 22 receptions as Iowa’s third-leading receiver for 188 yards and two more touchdowns.

Kaleb Johnson set Iowa single-seasons records for total points scored, total touchdowns, and rushing.

He is destined for the NFL where he is sure to make a team very happy in the future, but for now, Kaleb Johnson is forever etched into Iowa Hawkeyes greatness.

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