Yahoo: Why Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson compares to a former fantasy great | Yahoo Fantasy Forecast

Why Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson compares to a former fantasy great | Yahoo Fantasy Forecast Charles McDonald · Matt Harmon Thu, March 27, 2025 at 1:06 AM UTC Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Matt Harmon and NFL writer Charles McDonald discuss the Iowa running back's prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. Hear the full conversation on the "Yahoo Fantasy Forecast" podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript You watch him play and that's a pretty damn good running back right there. Yeah, I, I like him a lot, um. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement #RopmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #RopmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } } Honestly, I think that this could be a diamond in the rough player, um, I don't think he's going to go on in round one or you know maybe not even round two, but the player that I think of when I watch him is Arian Foster. Um, like I, I almost the way that they moved me is is kind of uncanny. I, especially when, when Iowa, as they do get under center, and they, they run like their outside zone stuff, um, the way that he's able to like Like he's he's gliding and setting up blocks at the same time and also being explosive. It, it really looks like what Adrian Aaron Foster used to do, uh, back when he was at his peak with the Texans where, you know, it never looked like Aaron was breaking like one speed, but he was the way he was able to set things up and glide at the same time, I think Caleb Johnson has a lot of that to his game. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement #RpdmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #RpdmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } } So, uh, maybe that's a little bit too high on him, uh. Aaron Foster was an undrafted player who ended up having the career that he had. So, you know, you never know with these guys, but when, when he takes off on outside zone stuff, and the way he reads it, and also you have a lot of tangible reps because Iowa does run under center stuff, you know, they are. going to butt their head against the ball, head against the wall, which does give you a lot of good looks for offensive line and running back. And I think he had a lot of translatable plays that would suggest that maybe he can continue to do some of that uh in the NFL. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement #Rq5mkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #Rq5mkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } } I don't know if he's gonna end up being like, you know, a 10-year starter, but hey, I think you could be a starter on a rookie, a rookie deal for a team that needs uh uh help for a running back, like if you're looking for someone to help take their like outside zonesche to the next level, I think he's uh like perfectly suited for that. Yeah, you said it perfectly there, and I love that Arian Foster comp and obviously Arian Foster dominated in a heavy outside zone run game with the Houston Texans under Gary Kubiak. um, so that makes perfect sense there and yeah, just that's the great part about even if watching Iowa football again, all apologies to Andy Barns. Even if it's watching Iowa football is not that fun, um, you do get a lot of translatable pro plays, especially from that running game cause it's under center, it's the heavy outside zone stuff, and he's such a perfect fit there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement #RqpmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #RqpmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } } Like, yeah, is he gonna rip off 60, 70 yard runs like maybe a Traveon Henderson would or something like that? Is he gonna have like, and he was second in terms of these running backs between Ashton Genty and Amari Hampton, who had 200 carries last year in yards after contact per attempt. He's not necessarily like the same ferocious tackle breaker that a guy like Hampton is, but he's a smart runner who can get the edge and get you some big plays, cause I think he's got good vision in the outside zone world and stuff like that. Uh, we mentioned two other teams I've already mentioned in terms of like landing spots, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, if they're getting back to more of that under center running game stuff, they have 2 3rd round picks, like he could be a guy that if they don't go running back early, maybe they add him to the mix in the 3rd round and like. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement #RrdmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 767.95px) { #RrdmkkmfnnmkqH1 { display: flex; } iframe { max-width: 100vw; } } I'm not saying he's gonna be their next Nick Chubb or anything like that, but Nick Chubb was the 2nd round pick and he just was their starting running back, and he was one of the best backs in the league at his peak. Again, I'm not saying he's necessarily gonna be at that level, but man, he could be like a 3rd round guy that they just say, hey, throughout the course of your rookie contract, you're kind of like our guiding force on offense, because we don't know what the hell we're doing at quarterback right now. Close Why Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson compares to a former fantasy great | Yahoo Fantasy Forecast Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst Matt Harmon and NFL writer Charles McDonald discuss the Iowa running back's prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. 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