One Concern NFL Teams May Hold Against Iowa Superstar

NFL teams may have one significant concern about this Iowa Hawkeyes superstar.

Nov 8, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) warms up prior to the game against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Kaleb Johnson is preparing to be one of the first running backs off the board in the NFL Draft this April.

As a matter of fact, some feel that Johnson could be the second halfback selected behind Boise State's Ashton Jeanty.

However, there is one thing that NFL teams may weigh against the Iowa product: his ability as a receiver out of the backfield.

Nick Kosmider of The Athletic listed Johnson among a group of players that should fit Sean Payton's system with the Denver Broncos, but he did express some concern over Johnson in the aforementioned category.

"There wasn’t a ton Johnson was asked to do as a route runner in Iowa’s scheme, so the draft process will be important for him in that regard as teams evaluate his full potential as an NFL back," Kosmider wrote.

While Johnson racked up 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground this past season, he logged a pedestrian 22 catches for 188 yards and a couple of scores.

To be fair, the 22-year-old did not exactly have the best quarterback situation with the Hawkeyes, but on that same token, you would think that Iowa's signal-callers would have utilized a lot of checkdown throws.

Perhaps Johnson has the potential to do more as a pass-catcher on the NFL level, as we don't always see running backs being fully deployed in college.

Whatever the case may be, it's hard to ignore Johnson's burst and explosiveness, so he could certainly end up developing into a lethal threat on screen passes in the pros.

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