Iowa Star's NFL Draft Destination Couldn't be Any More Obvious After Day 1 Stunner

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson is expected to be selected on Day 2 of the NFL Draft on Friday night, but where will he land?

There are still plenty of teams that need a running back, and after an absolute stunner on Day 1 of the draft, Johnson's NFL destination now seems to be painfully obvious.

The Denver Broncos bypassed the opportunity to land North Carolina halfback Omarion Hampton in the first round, instead opting to roll with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. This even though the Broncos already have Patrick Surtain II and are in dire need of backfield assistance.

This signals that Denver—which has expressed considerable interest in Johnson since the Scouting Combine—is hoping to land Johnson with the 51st overall pick of the draft.

There are some obstacles here, for sure. For example, the halfback-needy Chicago Bears own two second-round picks before the Broncos are due to be on the clock, and the Dallas Cowboys pick 44th. But thanks to Johnson's rather poor showing in Indianapolis, his draft stock has slipped to the point where many even have him pegged as a third-round selection.

Perhaps Denver has gotten some intel that Johnson will, in fact, be available at No. 51, which is why the Broncos felt comfortable going with Barron over Hampton on Thursday night. Maybe the Bears will take one of the two Ohio State stars (Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson) instead of Johnson, and there is a chance that the Cowboys nab a wide receiver over a running back.

Either way, the Broncos must know something, or else their decision to take Barron looks that much more questionable.

Johnson has met with Denver numerous times, and before the Combine, he was generally considered the third-best halfback in this year's class behind Ashton Jeanty and Hampton. Heck, some even had him ahead of Hampton.

After all, the 22-year-old did rattle off 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns this past year, averaging a robust 6.4 yards per carry. And that was in the Big Ten.

The Broncos have seemed sweet on Johnson all along, and it stands to reason that Denver is in line to draft him on Friday.

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