The Chicago Bears kicked off Saturday morning with a trade. They sent the 103rd overall pick to the New Orleans Saints for the 115th pick in the fourth round and the 165th pick in the fifth round. The Chicago Bears used the 115th pick on running back Roschon Johnson out of Texas.
Coming out of high school, Roschon Johnson was a four-star recruit and ranked as the 104th-best recruit in the country on ESPN’s Top 300 for 2019. In high school, Johnson was a two-sport athlete. At Port Neches–Groves High School, Johnson played quarterback and ran track and field. Roschon Johnson was an All-American high school quarterback with 85 total touchdowns through the air and on the ground.
Standing six feet tall and weighing 219 pounds, Johnson carried the ball 123 times for 649 yards and seven rushing touchdowns during his freshman year, but shared the backfield with Bijan Robinson for the following three years. Johnson accumulated 2,190 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns on 392 carries in four years as a Texas Longhorn. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Johnson was a consistent contributor on the ground. He had at least 400 rushing yards and five touchdowns in each of his four seasons at Texas. Out of the backfield, Johnson had 420 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in his collegiate career. On special teams, Johnson averaged 17.9 yards per kick return in college and contributed to the kick and punt return coverage units. Johnson is a consistent running back with less mileage on his legs since he split carries with the talented Bijan Robinson. Johnson never missed a game in college and only fumbled once.
Johnson ran the forty-yard dash in 4.58 seconds. At the combine, he posted a broad jump of ten feet and two inches and a vertical jump of 31.5 inches. Johnson has a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.67.
Johnson isn’t the fastest back, but he is a physical runner. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson had a missed tackle rate of 45%, which ranked first in the country among running backs. He displays good vision and has a knack for fighting for extra yards. He barrels over defenders, runs through arm tackles, has a good stiff arm and can hurdle defenders. Johnson always keeps his legs moving through contact. Because of his background as a high school quarterback, the Longhorns utilized Johnson in the wildcat formation. Johnson can impact the Bears’ passing game in two ways: as a receiver and as a blocker. Johnson has pretty good hands but occasionally drops passes. Ryan Poles said that Roschon Johnson is great at pass protection, and it stands out on his tape. Roschon Johnson isn’t just a special player, however; he’s a special person.
The Bears brass is really high on Johnson. After the Bears drafted him, southwestern area scout John Syty spoke to the media and called Johnson is a great human being with high character. Syty said, “This is a young man who has some pretty special qualities. Just in terms of his leadership ability, he’s someone we really feel can probably become a pillar in this organization for a really long time. I feel really strongly about this guy. … There’s a level of ‘it’ factor to this kid.” Syty believes Johnson will be a slam dunk for the Bears. “This kid has been through a lot of adversity, and there’s a reason we selected him here today. I have a feeling this guy is [going to] be with us for a very long time. … He’s just a special person.” Syty’s glowing reviews on Johnson should get Bears fans excited.
In his post-draft press conference, Poles reiterated much of what Syty said earlier. Poles said he was “shocked” that Johnson was still available. He called Johnson ”a really good football player that I know is going to be successful in this league in many different ways.” Poles describes Johnson as “an unbelievable human being.”
The Bears must keep adding talented young players that have high character. Despite last year’s ten-game losing streak, there were never rumblings of locker room drama. Justin Fields and other players like Cole Kmet and David Montgomery helped keep the morale high.
Roschon Johnson will immediately impact this young Chicago Bears team in multiple ways. He will be an instant contributor on special teams, split carries with Khalil Herbert and DOnt’a Foreman, and have a positive effect on an already sound Bears’ locker room. Based on the enthusiasm expressed by the Bears’ front office, I expect Roschon Johnson to be a team captain in two to three years and the team’s number-one running back by 2024.
