The Detroit Lions’ inability to run the ball has held them back for years, and fixing it was general manager Bob Quinn’s first priority in the 2018 NFL Draft. Quinn and the Lions traded up in the second round and selected running back Kerryon Johnson out of Auburn, adding him to a backfield that has struggled mightily the past few years.

At 6-0, 213 pounds, Johnson is bigger than both Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick, but he still plans to fill a similar role in the offense. At the NFL Combine, he posted great numbers in the 3-cone at 7.07 seconds, and 216 inches in the broad jump. These drills generally correlate with great burst and agility, and that’s what Johnson shows on film as well.

On this play against Alabama last season, Johnson takes a handoff out of the backfield. He sees the gap open in front of him and after a jump-cut behind the line of scrimmage, he bursts upfield. The running back gets to the second level and is able to set up tacklers in the open field, earning him a few extra yards.

Johnson’s patience and vision in the backfield allow him to take huge advantage of his physical tools.

Johnson takes the handoff on this play and waits for one of his offensive linemen to pull across the formation. When he finally does find an opening, he makes a quick cut through the hole. This Le’Veon Bell-esque patience and vision allow him to run more efficiently and becomes especially valuable in the Lions often terrible run protection.

The Auburn running back is great at finding gaps and taking advantage of them, but his upright running style can cause him issues – especially a few years down the road.

The running back runs high and it leads to him getting stalled at the point of attack. He doesn’t get low and drive his hips through defenders well. Johnson gets driven backward often and he occasionally fails to finish runs well because of it. Over time, this hurts his durability as he takes many hard hits to his upper body that could be easily avoided otherwise.

Johnson has great vision, agility and balance in open space. He is a strong player who isn’t scared of contact, almost to a fault. When his skills combine it can lead to a few incredible plays.

Johnson’s pass-catching ability was heavily highlighted during the pre-draft process. He caught 24 passes for 194 yards last season, but his skills as a receiver may be a little overrated. Johnson is great in the open field, but his route running leaves much to be desired.

Johnson is also great in pass protection:

Johnson tends to get his hands inside the pads of the man he is blocking and can hold his ground against linebackers, defensive backs and smaller defensive ends. He does occasionally check out when he stays back in protection, allowing rushers to sometimes get by him way too easily. Against bigger rushers, he sometimes lazily dives at their feet and entirely misses.

Johnson has a chance to be the Day 1 starter in a crowded running back room in Detroit. The rookie can easily usurp the role of either Riddick or Abdullah. He is an obvious guarantee to make the roster and his presence may leave either of the Lions’ longtime backs on the chopping block.