Kerryon Johnson learning fast, ready to compete for starting spot

George Stoia | Detroit Free Press

Kerryon Johnson is a fast learner.

The rookie has only been with the team for three months, but he's already starting to feel comfortable in his new backfield.

"I know what I'm doing a lot more often," Johnson said after the second day of training camp. "For me, it's all about being comfortable and when you know what you're doing it's easier to execute. Then it just comes down to effort and that's something you can control."

Johnson brings a breath of fresh air to a Lions team that finished last in the league in rushing offense last season. Drafted No. 43 overall out of Auburn, Johnson was labeled as one of the best running backs in college football last season. He rushed for more yardsin his final year at Auburn (1,391) than the Lions did as a team last year (1,221).

Johnson emphasized physicality and competition Saturday. He can't wait for the pads to go on Sunday at training camp and prove he belongs in the NFL.

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"Going from college to the NFL, is a whole different ballgame," Johnson said. "You can be physical in college and not be in the NFL, and that's something I have to show. ... OTAs are fun, all these practices are fun, but everything is different when you get in pads. Everything is heavier, everything is faster, everything is more physical so that's when you get to see if you can still play football."

Johnson is joining a running back group that has 19 combined years of NFL experience. Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah return from last year's team, while 31-year-old LeGarrette Blount signed with the Lions in March after winning the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Blount, who is going into his 10th season and has won three Super Bowls, has particularly made an impact on Johnson.

"He's been a big help," Johnson said. "That guy has been the league like 9-10 years, he knows the ins and outs of defenses. He knows the ins and outs of running the ball. I need to take all the advice and tips that I can so one day I can share with somebody else that's younger than me."

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All four backs are expected to get playing time, but there likely won't be enough carries to go around. Despite the intense competition for the starting job, all four have been helping each other.

"All of those guys work extremely hard," Lions coach Matt Patricia said. "That group is a very competitive group right now and it'll be interesting how it goes the rest of camp."

"All the running backs have been helpful to each other," Johnson said. "Some guys have been here, some haven't, like me and LeGarrette, so all of us have to help each other. If somebody doesn't know the answer, then someone else does. It's just all about being a team and a teammate."

And that's why the Lions drafted Johnson. To compete, and help make the Lions rushing attack effective, something it hasn't been in quite some time.

"I'm just trying to help anyway I can," Johnson said. "That's how I help — by bringing competition to practice. When you compete at practice and then you get to the game, you feel a lot more confident. No matter who wins, whether I win or someone else wins, it's all about competition. Once that happens, everything starts clicking for you."

Contact George Stoia: gstoia@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgestoia.