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Arizona Cardinals Select RB David Johnson From Northern Iowa

By Vijay Singaraju

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The Arizona Cardinals get the backfield size they so desperately need.

With the 86th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select David Johnson the 224 pound running back from Northern Iowa. The Cardinals needed a running back sooner rather than later. With Johnson’s 6’1″ 224 lbs. frame, he will be a great compliment to Andre Ellington in the backfield.

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At Northern Iowa, the Alma mater of retired Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, Johnson post 3 1000 yard rushing seasons in a row. Johnson also ran a 4.5 40 yard dash, which was one of the fastest 40 times of running backs this year. Johnson, like Ellington, has great pass catching ability. When he gets into space Johnson will be a nightmare for opposing defenses as he is a long strider and has the great habit of falling forward to gain additional yards.

On the other hand, Johnson seems to lack that initial burst of quickness that running backs use to get away from defenders. Scouts mentioned that he doesn’t have the greatest field vision, and tends to miss any gaps that open up. During his college career, Johnson was also troubled by turnovers, as he finished with 13 fumbles in his college career.

The Arizona Cardinals desperately needed a running back to replace Johnathan Dwyer. With Johnson’s great size, and speed he should be a great addition to the Cardinals offense who are looking to make a Super Bowl run. If David Johnson pans out as Keim and the front office hope he will, he can supplant Andre Ellington as the Cardinals leading back. Though not the running back I expected them to take, this was a good pick as Johnson fills a need and has tremendous potential.

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