Roschon Johnson is a 4th round pick. Yet many people treat his arrival to the Chicago Bears as if he were a 1st round pick. That seems hard to grasp for a backup running back. However, every expert that has talked about Johnson says the same thing. If he played on almost any roster that didn’t have Bijan Robinson, the kid would’ve been a starter and probably one of the best running backs in the country. People aren’t giving him enough credit for still getting drafted so high despite being a backup.
Some people have taken it a step further. Texas running backs coach Tashard Choice openly stated his belief Johnson would emerge as the Bears’ starter before the end of 2023. On the surface, that feels like a coach speaking up for his former player. Except he isn’t the only one saying that. Chad Reuter of NFL.com listed 12 players taken on Day 3 of the draft he felt was primed to grab a starting job this season. Johnson was seventh on that list. He thinks the way is clearer than people think.
“The Bears signed D’Onta Foreman to a one-year deal in March, but the veteran has started more than three games in a season only once (nine in 2022 with the Panthers). Johnson’s combination of power and strong second-level cuts should earn him carries early in the year, and starts later on.”
Roschon Johnson has one big advantage over his new teammates.
As capable as Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman are as runners, they don’t offer much outside of that. Neither stands out as either a receiver or a pass protector. Johnson doesn’t have that problem. He was a constant threat in the passing game with his soft hands and solid route-running. He might be even better at picking up blitzes. There isn’t any significant hole in his game. That means he can stay on the field for any situation. Such players are so valuable to an offense. It comes down to how long the rookie takes to seize the opportunity.
Bears coaches have said the starting job will belong to Herbert when camps begin. After that, it will be a wide open competition. Braxton Jones only needed until the end of OTAs to grab the left tackle job. Maybe Roschon Johnson will follow the same timeline. If not, it won’t take him long to get involved in the offense. A good showing in the preseason might accelerate his chances. Either way, the consensus belief in him offers hope the Bears found another promising player to join their stellar running back legacy.
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