Cardinals' David Johnson Will Stake Claim to Title of NFL's Best RB in 2016

The NFL has experienced something of a resurgence at the running back position in recent years. Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings remains the gold standard, but there are challengers to his throne in players like Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell and Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams.

Another may well be entering the league this year in top-five pick Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys.

However, by the time the dust settles on the 2016 campaign, there's going to be a new king of the mountain—a second-year pro who wasn't even the starter for his team for much of his rookie year.

For David Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals, the future is now.

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Johnson began his rookie season third on the Redbirds' depth chart behind veterans Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson. When Ellington went down, CJ stepped in and played his best football in years, turning back the clock to his heyday with the Tennessee Titans.

Then CJ suffered a fractured leg in November, and it was the other Johnson's turn.

To say that he took the ball and ran with it is both cliche and one whopper of an understatement.

G	Att.	Yards	Avg.	TD	RY	Avg.	TD	KR	KRY	KRTD
16	125	581	4.6	8	457	12.7	4	22	598	1

From Week 13 on last year, no player in the NFL gained more yards from scrimmage than Johnson. He topped 100 total yards in four of those five games, went over 200 total yards in a December game in Philadelphia and scored five of his rookie-franchise-record 13 touchdowns. Over that span he averaged nearly five yards a carry.

Even in the NFC Championship Game, while the rest of the Arizona offense was being throttled by the Carolina Panthers, Johnson shined, posting 128 total yards and a score.

It was a performance that opened eyes both around the NFL and in the Arizona locker room. In December, Quarterback Carson Palmer raved about Johnson's impressive skill set while speaking to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss:

"

When you look at Andre and Chris, he’s probably got 30 pounds on those guys. Straight-ahead speed, he’s probably as fast as those guys. Those guys are definitely shiftier and quicker, but he just runs through people and through arm tackles.

Kind of like a Todd Gurley-style runner — fast in the open field and just big, hard to bring down.

He’s probably as natural a catcher as there is. He was a receiver growing up and he just grew too much, too fast. He catches the ball really, really well. He understands concepts well. Great body control. All those things are really, really good in the passing game.

"

Those sentiments were echoed by general manager Steve Keim, who called Johnson a "scary" talent while speaking to Ron Wolfley and Paul Calvisi of the team's website in February:

"

Just going back and looking at some of the things David did on our tape just recently, from a skill set standpoint, it's scary. At 6'1", 226 pounds, a guy who can bend and make lateral cuts the way he does and have the ball skills and the matchup possibilities out of the backfield, he's truly a three-down back that's got the size and the strength to punish in the run game and he's got the skill and the athleticism in the passing game, which is scary.

The way he catches the ball out of the backfield and the weapon he is as a receiver, I think he could end up being one of the better all-around backs in the NFL when you look at being a complete player. A guy that's not subbed for in third-down situations, a guy that can play every snap and can be such a weapon in every phase of the game.

"

Head coach Bruce Arians did Keim one better. As Chris Wesseling of NFL.com wrote, Arians thinks Johnson could be one of the best backs ever.

"I can't say after one year's work that he is one of the best," Arians offered, "but he's got a chance to be one of the all-time best."

Granted, there's a grain of salt in what Arians said. A bit of cold water to splash on the notion of Johnson as the league's most dangerous tailback. And it's justified. After all, we're talking about a player who has been in the NFL all of one year and who has barely carried the ball 150 times as a professional including the postseason.

David Johnson is a back with a lot to prove.

In fact, there are those (including Weinfuss) who don't think (David) Johnson will even be the lead back for the Cardinals in 2016: "Even though Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has said RB David Johnson will be the team's bell cow, veteran Chris Johnson will claim the starting job. They'll continue to pair together for a dynamic 'thunder and lightning' backfield, but CJ2K's experience will win him the job."

Of course, the problem with that prediction is that Arians (per Weinfuss himself, no less) has already said differently: "David’s earned the right now to be the bell cow. Everybody’s got to take it from him. But Chris ran for 800 (yards) and probably would have had 1,200 had he stayed healthy. Andre can break the game open."

The prediction serves as a wake-up-call of sorts. A reminder of the crowded backfield in the desert and that there are questions concerning Johnson's ascendance.

However, there are questions surrounding all of the elite running backs entering 2016.

Peterson, 31, has carried the ball well over 2,000 times. Neither of those numbers historically bode well where his future is concerned.

Doug Martin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (last year's runner-up to Peterson) has had a pair of excellent seasons and a pair of rotten ones. Will the real Muscle Hamster please stand up?

Bell, like Johnson, is just as dangerous as a receiver as he is taking the ball off left tackle. But in each of the past two years, the 24-year-old has seen his season cut short by an injured knee.

Gurley was the runaway choice as Offensive Rookie of the Year after topping 1,100 rushing yards in only 13 games last year, averaging a robust 4.8 yards a pop. And make no mistake: He will be the focal point of the offense in La-La Land.

The problem is that everyone and their mother knows that about Gurley, including opponents. There's no passing game to speak off to keep defenses honest and no secondary tailback to keep Gurley fresh.

That couldn't be further from the truth in the desert. The Cardinals most assuredly have a passing game—arguably the league's best. Defenses that stack the box to stop Johnson will be sorry they did when John Brown or Michael Floyd is dancing in the end zone after a long touchdown pass.

Or they can play it straight and watch Johnson roll into the end zone. It's like choosing between kale and tofu: Either way you wind up with an upset stomach and a bad taste in your mouth.

And with their Johnson and Johnson backfield (and to a lesser extent with Ellington), the Cardinals have a stable of backs who have all shown they can pick up yardage in chunks both as a runner and a receiver. There's no need to overwork one.

It's a nightmare scenario for opposing defenses.

And the perfect situation for a breakout second season from Johnson, who averaged over a yard more per touch in 2015 than any of the other tailbacks mentioned here.

At the end of the day, it may well come down to how you define "the best." If it's with raw stats and rushing totals, Johnson faces an uphill climb. He probably won't lead the NFL in that category. He just isn't going to see the carries of a Gurley or Peterson.

However, if you're more into measuring the impact a running back has on the game, his power to single-handedly change the complexion of an offense and his ability to make defenses pay every time he gets the ball, then settle back and enjoy.

Because David Johnson is about to put on a show.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPSharks.