ESPN Shares Prediction for Iowa Hawkeyes Star in NFL Draft

An Iowa Hawkeyes star has received a major NFL Draft prediction from ESPN.
Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (2) carries the ball to the endzone against Northwestern Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (2) carries the ball to the endzone against Northwestern Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Iowa Hawkeyes are sad to see star running back Kaleb Johnson go, but the impact that he had on the program was immense. He put together one of the best seasons of any running back in program history.

Johnson will now take his talents to the NFL. It is widely expected that he will be picked within the first two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

During the 2024 season, Johnson ended up carrying the football 240 times for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also racked up 188 receiving yards and two more touchdowns on 22 receptions.

Standing in at 6-foot-0 and 225 pounds, Johnson is a very physical runner. While he may be a bruising running back, he can also break off the big play.

All of that being said, Johnson has received a new prediction from ESPN about where he could end up landing.

NFL Draft expert Matt Miller has released a new mock draft. In that mock draft, he had Johnson being selected by the Denver Broncos with the No. 51 overall pick in the second round.

Ending up with the Broncos would be a great fit for Johnson. He would be able to grow alongside Bo Nix and could end up being the immediate starter. At the very least, he would play a large role early on in his career.

With Johnson's size and physical ability, he looks the part of an every down running back. In fact, there are some reasons to compare him to a physical running back like Derrick Henry.

That isn't to say that it's a prediction he will have a Henry-type career, but he has big-time potential.

It will be very interesting to see where the Iowa star ends up. Hopefully, it's with a good team that can offer him early playing like, like the Broncos could.

Expect to continue hearing more about Johnson ahead of the draft in April. All Hawkeyes fans will be excited to continue rooting him on at the next level.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.