After the 2024 college football season, Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson had decimated defenses so much that most had him pegged as a second-round pick in the NFL Draft.
There were even some who were so impressed by Johnson’s campaign—in which he racked up 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns to lead the Big Ten in both categories—that he was garnering first-round buzz.
Yes, you still had your analysts and prognosticators who had Johnson slipping to Round 3, but even most of them had Johnson flying off the board very early in the round.
But now, Johnson’s draft stock is really starting to slip, and it surely has a lot to do with the fact that he put forth a rather pedestrian showing at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The 22-year-old ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, which raised some eyebrows even though Johnson was not necessarily known for his breakaway speed.
And evidently, Johnson’s performance in Indianapolis had quite the effect on mock drafters, as we are now starting to see the Iowa product’s name slip toward the back end of the fourth round. It has even gotten to the point where he is approaching Day 3 territory, which seemed impossible a few weeks ago.
Nevertheless, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic recently posted a three-round mock draft, and he had Johnson falling all the way to the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 86. That is indeed the back half of the third round, and it makes you wonder if the superstar rusher will really plummet that far next month.
Most would still probably agree that Johnson is the third-best halfback in this draft class, but the gap between him and No. 4 has shrunk, and the gap between Omarion Hampton and Johnson has widened for the No. 2 spot.
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