2025 NFL Draft: What Kaleb Johnson Would Bring to Jaguars

Originally drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne has been a productive runner when healthy and enters the final year of his rookie contract needing to prove he can stay on the field as Tank Bigsby begins to emerge as the team's potential workhorse back.

Etienne has missed time due to injuries, including his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury and last season with nagging issues throughout the season. At some point, the Jaguars must consider adding another running back to the roster and in a deep group at the position, this year's selection process offers the chance for the franchise to pull the trigger on the possibility.

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson could be Etienne's successor. The underclassman was one of the best players at his position in college football, arguably the top player behind Ashton Jeanty. Johnson, a former three-star recruit, was a consensus All-American in 2024 along with first-team All-Big Ten honors plus the conference's running back of the year award.

Let's dive in to see what Johnson brings to the table at the next level.

Strengths

Johnson is a big running back at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds with a powerful frame, stature and the play strength to be an effective runner at the next level. Speaking of power, there's plenty of it illustrated on the field as he displays excellent contact balance and leg churn to gain extra yards after contact. His center of gravity is low enough that he is incredibly tough to bring down after first or second contact.

The former three-star recruit possesses good vision and footwork that makes him an effective zone blocking runner. He plays with great tempo and patience behind the line of scrimmage with quality processing at the mesh point to read and determine his crease and gaps to explode through. His light, nimble feet direct him to daylight on most plays.

When Johnson finds a crease, he does not hesitate to explode with instant acceleration and attack the second level and has just enough sustainability to the third level to break off for chunk plays or long scores.