Emmett Johnson Compares Himself to Great RBs, Would Love Vikings to Bring Him Home

The former Minnesota Mr. Football winner is one of the top running backs in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson (RB10) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Among the prayers the Vikings need answered this offseason is finding an explosive running back, and as fate might have it, they may be in position to draft a young man who grew up in Minneapolis and attended Academy of Holy Angels in nearby Richfield.

Emmett Johnson is projected as one of the best running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he confirmed Friday that he's met with the Vikings at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

"Hey, man, it would mean a lot. I grew up in the inner city. I lived about 10-15 minutes from U.S. Bank Stadium. I had a great formal meeting with them and (Kevin) O'Connell. I would love to go back home," Johnson told NBC Sports.

Johnson was a stud in 2025 at Nebraska, rushing for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns, while adding 46 receptions for 370 yards and three touchdowns. He's an all-around back who could instantly replace Aaron Jones, whose future with the Vikings is unknown as a potential cap casualty since he's due to carry a $14.5 million cap hit in 2026.

Johnson likens his skills to a few NFL greats.

"I'll say a lot of different guys. Barry Sanders is one of them," Johnson said. "I'll go LaDainian Tomlinson, a little bit of (Christian) McCaffrey. In today's day and age, my coach also coached him, so I feel like the receiving ability from him. And then a little bit of Walter (Payton). Y'all might not know, but if you go watch the tape."

Oh, and Adrian Peterson.

"I grew up a Vikings fan," he said, noting that he modeled his game after Peterson. "Just how downhill he was. I feel like if you watch my tape, I finish a lot of my runs moving forward. I feel like the violent part came from AP."

Johnson is the third-ranked running back in Mel Kiper Jr.'s NFL Draft rankings, trailing only Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, both of Notre Dame.

Johnson won the 2021 Mr. Football award as the top senior football player in Minnesota, when he rushed for more than 2,500 yards and scored 42 touchdowns. In his high school career, he finished just shy of 5,000 rushing yards and nearly 6,000 all-purpose yards.

His hometown Gophers did not offer him a scholarship out of high school, but Minnesota was loaded at running back at the time, and he wound up committing to Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were the only major conference team to offer him a scholarship.

Johnson is expected to be drafted in the second or third round.