Kaleb Johnson Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Jerod Ringwald/The Daily Iowan)
School: Iowa
Class: Junior
Position: RB
HT: 6’1
WT: 224 lbs
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Background: Kaleb Johnson was a 3-star running back in the class of 2022 out of Hamilton, Ohio. Johnson was a top 20 player in the state of Ohio for Hamilton High School while also being a top 50 running back nationally. Johnson was named first team all-conference as a junior and first team all-state as a senior. Johnson also competed in both basketball and track for Hamilton. Johnson committed to Iowa over Cal and Iowa State.
College: As a true freshman in 2022, Johnson started 6 games, rushing for 779 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was an honorable mention All-Big 10 selection and a Freshman All-American. Johnson ran for 463 yards and 3 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023 after missing 3 games due to injury. In 2024, Johnson was an All-American and First Team All-Big 10. He was also named Big 10 Running Back of the Year. These honors come after Johnson ran for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Strengths: Kaleb Johnson is a powerful runner with the strength to run defenders over at the line to climb to the second level of the defense. Johnson is an excellent decision maker. He displays patience in the backfield to wait for the right lane to open up. His patience does not slow him down as he keeps his feet moving and eludes any defenders close to the line. Johnson’s change of direction ability is violent as he can cut and burst in the blink of an eye. Defenders seem to slip right off him. Gang tackling is the only way to bring Johnson down as arm tackles are no match for him. His contact balance provides him the stability and consistent stride to run through tacklers. Johnson is a plus pass catcher. He has soft hands and can turn up the field in a hurry to gash defenses after the catch. He can be used with the standard route tree as well as the screen game with his incredible burst and elusiveness. Johnson is solid in pass protection. He is sturdy and can absorb contact from blitzers at the line of scrimmage. He can also throw effective chip blocks before breaking out for a route.
Weaknesses: Johnson does not have that top end speed to evade defenders with pure speed. He can be hawked down by safeties if he breaks free. Johnson needs to improve his ability to avoid contact as he seems to rely too heavily on his strength to run through defenders when he should bounce out to the boundary. Between the tackles, Johnson plays too high. He needs to get lower to avoid unnecessary contact or and gain more leverage.
Conclusion: Kaleb Johnson is a powerful workhorse running back. He can come into the NFL and be relied on to be on the field for both running and passing downs. Johnson will be a serious threat to be the starter from day one of training camp.
Scheme Fit: Gap Rushing Offense
Ideal Role: Workhorse RB
Best Team Fits: PIT, CLE, DAL
Player Comparison: Rachaad White
Player Grade: Round 1 (90.2)
