Outside of Darnell Wright, no player in the Chicago Bears’ 10-man draft class received more immediate buzz than Roschon Johnson. That seems unusual. After all, he’s a 4th round pick for one. Players going that late in a draft don’t get the same attention. Then there is the fact he spent his entire college career as a backup to the much more celebrated Bijan Robinson. It seems odd. That is until you start reading up on the young man and you realize this is far from a normal backup running back.
Start with the talent. Despite his status, Johnson was consistently productive at Texas. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry on the ground and caught 56 passes. So his versatility stands out immediately. There is also his ability in pass protection, something even Robinson couldn’t boast. Last but not least was the special teams prowess. He was a core member of the third phase.
Yet what sold the Bears the most on him was his mental makeup. Johnson is a great competitor but an even better leader. Everybody at Texas agreed he was the real voice of that running back room. Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has worked with the rookie for barely a week and already has his own story to tell.
Roschon Johnson is setting a standard.
Bears coaches have constantly made it clear players will be held to a high bar in Chicago. Nobody is excused from that. The standard is the standard. You either meet it, or you won’t be around long. Often the best way to make such a culture work is by having players who echo the same message. Johnson is becoming the perfect torch bearer. He has certain expectations, both of himself and his teammates. While his locker room sway is small right now because of his rookie status, the running back is clearly laying the foundation for his future status as a team leader.
Those who know him likely aren’t surprised. Roschon Johnson has a personality that others respect. Nobody works or plays harder than him. A big difference is he’s willing to voice the same demands he puts on himself to others. Having such players in the locker room is a great thing. Coaches can motivate, but it’s often better when the players do it too. That is what made the 1980s teams so successful. Guys held each other accountable. That is what Johnson is on a mission to do.
While it’s hard to lose Mongomery, personally I think this guy is the best possible replacement we could have gotten: a strong locker room presence, a three-down running back, a special teamer, a pass blocker, etc. Our running back room looks poised to take some of the load off of Justin while keeping that 1st place crown in the process. GO BEARS!
I’m sure he will be respectable but may have trouble getting carries as RB#4 (Homer will still be #3). But as a special teams guy, he will probably impress. If Foreman or Herbert stumble or get injured, Roschon could be too tempting not to play. He does remind me of Matt Forte in his smoothness and athleticism.
The Bears were lucky in the NFL Draft for at least two reasons. First, Bijon was selected neither by a division rival to be faced twice a year nor by a talented NFC team that also has an excellent passer, translating into an almost unbeatable offensive combination in the playoffs. Secondly, Roschon was still available at pick #115 when he should have been picked earlier and was worth trading up for as a no-brainer in the 4th round. We can thank “that” Pace for the first reason, and the strong combination of the Texas runners for the second reason, creating… Read more »
I was really hoping Charbonet would’ve been there for us. But I like what I’m hearing about Johnson. Barring injury, I don’t see him being RB1 this season but I can envision him contributing. Probably mostly on special teams and maybe passing downs depending on how good a blocker Foreman is.
Only in Chicago they praise back up rbs as the next greatest thing…yet the guy he compares to is Monty with more top end speed. Monty they told us isnt a fit for this offense, but somehow this clone of Monty is…..