2025 NFL Draft Hopeful Kaleb Johnson Explains Why Hawkeyes Succeed In NFL

Star Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson is hoping to hear his named called in the 2025 NFL Draft and there's a good chance he'll be drafted sooner rather than later.

Johnson, a 6-foot-1, 224 pound running back from Hamilton, Ohio, is ranked as the fifth-best running back in the draft by ESPN and he's the No. 61 overall prospect in this draft class. NFL.com projects him as a second or third-round draft pick, which means he's more than likely going to be selected by the time Friday evening wraps up.

Where Johnson ends up is anybody's guess, but at this juncture of the process he's just ready to go. Speaking recently on "Path to the Draft", he explained that at this point, he's just living in the moment. This is an incredible time for him, though, and he's not taking it for granted.

"Im taking it day-by-day, man. Just enjoying it every chance I get. This is every kid's dream. I'm trying to live it to the fullest because you only get drafted once," Johnson said.

Iowa has long been known as a "factory" for the NFL and Johnson was asked by the NFL.com crew why the Hawkeyes are so good in that regard. So many great NFL players have come out of Iowa, but the most impressive thing is that Kirk Ferentz's NFL draftees seem to have the grit, toughness and know-how to hit the ground running in the league.

It's just the way the Hawkeyes run things in Iowa City, per Johnson. Ferentz, despite his few faults as head coach over the years, runs a professional program.

"It's the way Iowa does things. It's the little stuff. How determined we are. How we work overall," Johnson explained. "During the season we always go full speed. Iowa gives you a 'get ready for the NFL' type of team because they do things the right way and do things little by little. Iowa is a pro college team."

Johnson will soon join the ranks of the NFL Hawkeyes and he absolutely has a chance to make his mark in the league. Last season for the Hawks, he rushed 240 times for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.