Iowa Star's Draft Stock May Have Skyrocketed Thanks to Super Bowl

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson was one of the most explosive weapons in the country this season, and if this were 20 years ago, he would likely be viewed as a potential top 10-15 pick in the NFL Draft.

However, times have changed, and the halfback position has been largely marginalized on the professional level. Teams have placed much more of an emphasis on the passing game, which has left some running backs in the dark when it comes to finding a clear-cut role.

But Super Bowl 59 may have altered the course for elite running backs moving forward, as Saquon Barkley played a gigantic role in spearheading the Philadelphia Eagles' electrifying season, capped by a championship win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

It marked the first time in nearly a decade (February 2017, to be exact) that an NFL team with a 1,000-yard rusher won the Super Bowl, and it could have a significant impact on Johnson's draft stock.

During the first half of the college football season, as Johnson rose to stardom, he was typically considered a third-round pick, at best. That even though he was widely viewed as a top-three running back in his draft class.

But then, we saw Johnson creep into the second round in some mock drafts, and now, we are hearing some buzz that the 22-year-old could be a first-round pick in April.

The Eagles' run probably has something to do with that, as NFL front offices are now seeing that you can build a strong offense around your ground game in 2025. Heck, part of what hurt the Chiefs so much in the Super Bowl (other than their brutal offensive line) was that they didn't really have much of a rushing attack.

Barkley's dominance (as well as that of players like Derrick Henry and James Cook) may have opened the door for teams to place a higher value on halfbacks again, which could result in Johnson being a Day 1 pick in a couple of months.

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