Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson declared for the 2025 NFL Draft after a season he’d be hard-pressed to top. Before a true breakout season, he kicked off his collegiate career with an All-Big Ten honorable mention for leading the Hawkeyes in rushing as a true freshman.
Johnson missed three games in 2023 with a high-ankle sprain and wasn’t at his best. All of that would be forgiven in 2024 when the junior rusher earned himself plenty of attention that culminated in the following recognition: Big Ten RB of the Year, First-Team All-Big Ten, finalist for the Doak Walker Award, and a Second-Team Associated Press All-American.
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 224 pounds
40 time: 4.57 seconds
Such a decorated season suggests Johnson will easily translate to the professional ranks, but an uninspiring physical tool set may have something to say about it. He will struggle to enter Day 2 of the draft and profiles as a complementary piece rather than a three-down workhorse.
Table: RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa (2022-24)
*includes postseason/bowl games (stats from Sports Reference)
Pros
- A one-cut back who focuses on getting north to maximize his gains on every attempt
- Patience to let blocks develop while maintaining a keen eye for the cutback
- Contact balance is one of his better traits
- Limited mileage on odometer
- Showed a nose for the end zone in 2024
- Physical stature to push the pile and shoulder a larger workload if needed
- Runs with a natural cadence and is decisive once he picks his lane
- Functional on outside zones and sweeps
- Low aerial utilization isn’t fully representative of his respectable receiving skills
- Will be at his best in a timing-based system that doesn’t give too much freedom for freelancing
- Despite not being particularly elusive, he ranked in the top five of 2024 RBs in forcing missed tackles, per Pro Football Focus
Cons
- Likely isolated to being a two-down back in a zone-blocking scheme
- Lacks breakaway speed
- Slow to regather burst after coming to a standstill
- Visibly lacks flexibility in his lower-body movements
- Limited athletic profile and explosiveness combined with an unimpressive repertoire of open-field moves means an outsized reliance on blocking
- Pass protection needs a lot of work
- Limited experience on the route tree
Fantasy football outlook
His game has shades of former NFL running back David Johnson, although the Northern Iowa product was a better receiver than Iowa’s Johnson.
The best-case scenario: He overachieves in a zone-blocking design by improving his pass pro and managing to stay on the field for three downs. Even in that situation, he’s an RB2 candidate. The far more realistic assessment puts him in a shared backfield as a two-downer who may produce enough touchdowns to overcome a lack of yardage and receptions to sneak into the realm of matchup utility.
Given the wide range of possible utilization outcomes, Johnson will receive a dedicated update once the draft placement provides clarity on that front.
