David Johnson to Arizona Cardinals: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

With their third selection in the 2015 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals added a big-time talent to their backfield. Northern Iowa Panthers running back David Johnson is one of the most unique and dynamic talents in this year's draft class, making him a great fit for the Cardinals offense.

The first thing that Johnson brings to the table is size. Arizona sorely needed a back capable of taking hits while staying durable. Johnson is fully capable, measuring at 6’1” and 224 pounds.

Johnson was a workhorse for the Northern Iowa offense. He carried the ball 287 times and caught 38 passes in 2014. His ability to help Arizona on third down is a major plus for 2015.

One of the best aspects of Johnson’s game is his ability to get through the line, then find creases for extra yards. His hips are stiff, which is normal for backs his size. This means he won’t jump-cut like Andre Ellington can. Instead, he uses vision and allows his blocks to set up a clear path.

This makes Johnson a great fit in Arizona’s power-run scheme. Once he finds the initial running lane, he is more often successful than not at gaining positive yards. That reliability will make him a must-play early for the Cardinals.

Johnson is exciting as a receiver. His shining moment came against Iowa in 2014, when he had five receptions for a whopping 203 yards.

Throughout the game, Johnson proved to be smart, elusive and efficient with the ball in his hands. His ability to run a variety of routes and get upfield quickly is rare in collegiate backs.

In Arizona’s offense, Johnson should thrive on checkdowns. With outside receivers like Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald spacing the defense, Johnson will often find himself running free underneath. Quarterback Carson Palmer should be willing to check down if receivers are covered downfield.

At Johnson’s size, he isn’t overly bursty with his lower body. He doesn’t make guys miss; instead, he has to work angles and use his power. His natural pad level sometimes makes that hard, as he struggles to be the lower man.

The jump in competition is another question mark. In college, he didn’t always trust his vision behind the line of scrimmage, which could be exposed in the NFL. His natural feel for the position as a runner isn’t poor, but it also isn’t great yet.

Projecting forward, Johnson doesn’t have the natural skills to be an every-down back. But he can be effective in Arizona’s platoon. He also brings a rare talent to the Cardinals offense as a receiver.

This was a good pick for the Cardinals. They did not add a potential feature back, but Johnson can be one of the best role players at running back with his receiving ability. For a third-round pick, that’s good value.

Arizona has addressed its top needs well through the first two days of the draft. This should help the team go with the best player available the rest of the way.

All stats used are from Sports-Reference.com. 

Ian Wharton is an NFL Draft Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 
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