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Chris Johnson (RB college draft prospect for 2008)

GP

GP

Go Texans!
Chris Johnson, RB, East Carolina

Year-By-Year Stats link

(This season: Averaged 5.8 per carry for 1200 yds. on 208 carries with 16 TDs, 14.6 per catch for 496 yds. on 34 catches with 5 receiving TDs, and according to his stats he has NEVER fumbled in his entire college career)

Here's analysis from Kiper (I'm on ESPN Insider, so I can't link to it):

He has great speed (4.3 seconds in the 40), is compact (5-10½, 200) and is harder to bring down than one might think.

Forget that he played in Conference USA, a combination of speed and strength should make RB Chris Johnson a Day 1 pick in next year's draft.

Not only is he a great running back, but is a tremendous receiver out of the backfield and can also help in the kicking game. He could be a second-round pick after coming into 2007 as a possible fifth-rounder.

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He plays in a Bowl Game vs. Boise State THIS Sunday evening on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT.

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ncf_g_johnson_400.jpg
 
He's pretty good. I saw him only in one game and looked impressive. That being said, I don't see him being much more than a 3rd down back.
 
Check out his stats you provided and he did not do so well against the big boys. I think our first four rounds (if we trade down) have to be pretty solid picks. If we go with Stewart, Ian Johnson, Hart,etc in first I see no need to draft an RB later especially if they look at RB in free agency as some have suggested. I would rather look at LB and OL and maybe DE in 5th, 6th and 7th.
 
I watched him play vs. Boise State in the bowl game.

He ran right up the middle and was making people miss while doing it. Looks nothing like Reggie Bush. He looks really good. Had 170+ yards rushing before the end of the first half. Ended with 223 yards rushing and over 400 all purpose yds.

Here's an excerpt from the post-game story, and a link to it afterwards.

HONOLULU (AP) -- All Chris Johnson could think about after his record-setting night was how let his team down.

Johnson set an NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards, and Ben Hartman kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to give East Carolina a 41-38 victory over No. 24 Boise State in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl on Sunday night.

Johnson ran for 223 yards, caught three passes for 32 yards and returned six kickoffs for 153 yards. But he committed a costly fumble late that almost sent it to overtime. It was his first fumble of the season.

"I let my team down," he said. "But when I got back to the sideline, they told me they had my back and they loved me."

Johnson made up for it with his big night.

"It feels good to end my career like this. I wanted to come out here and show the country that I am the best back in the country," he said.
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link: Chris Johnson Sets Record

He's also a special teams guy. Notice that he averaged 25 yards a return.

This guy will probably end up going in the late first round unless he blows it at the combine. He gets an extra 2-3 yards on each carry by leaning forward and just willing it to happen...sort of reminds me of DD, but with straight-away speed that DD didn't have.
 
beerlover said:
seems like a poor mans Reggie Bush in the slot receiving RB :)
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I think you are off base here. He ran between the tackles pretty well against Boise St. In fact so well that when Boise St. started cheating to stop the run he busted outside and out ran the angles.

Very impressive RB, and no one is talking about him as a 2nd rounder?
 
TexanSam said:
What do you think of the guy? Or what do you think are his weaknesses and strengths and such?
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First off, competion. Next, size. The kid might stick for a few years as a change of pace back. I like him a lot at the college level, but I don't project him to the NFL to any role that you will recognize his name in 2 years.
 
YoungTexanFan said:
First off, competion. Next, size. The kid might stick for a few years as a change of pace back. I like him a lot at the college level, but I don't project him to the NFL to any role that you will recognize his name in 2 years.
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Competition -
DATE OPP RESULT ATT YDS AVG LNG TD REC YDS AVG LNG TD FUM LST
9/1 @Virginia Tech L 17-7 10 29 2.9 12 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
9/8 North Carolina W 34-31 8 18 2.3 6 1 5 136 27.2 78 2 0 0
9/15 Southern Miss L 28-21 13 45 3.5 20 0 3 29 9.7 15 1 0 0
9/22 @West Virginia L 48-7 14 76 5.4 14 1 3 13 4.3 8 0 0 0
9/29 @Houston W 37-35 24 147 6.1 43 2 4 24 6.0 8 0 0 0
10/6 UCF W 52-38 23 89 3.9 18 2 5 89 17.8 72 1 0 0
10/13 @UTEP W 45-42 23 126 5.5 32 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
10/20 North Carolina State L 34-20 19 63 3.3 11 1 4 22 5.5 19 0 0 0
10/27 UAB W 41-6 15 79 5.3 20 1 2 41 20.5 33 0 0 0
11/3 @Memphis W 56-40 20 301 15.1 70 4 2 12 6.0 8 0 0 0
11/10 @Marshall L 26-7 12 72 6.0 22 1 2 45 22.5 28 0 0 0
11/24 Tulane W 35-12 27 155 5.7 36 2 4 85 21.3 33 1 0 0
SHERATON HAWAII BOWL AT HONOLULU HI Boise State W 41-38 28 223 8.0 68 1 3 32 10.7 18 1 0 0


Toss up, if you ask me, by saying he is running against inferior talent, you need to acknowledge he has the same level talent blocking for him. While he only avg. 2.9 yds Virginia Tech, he did avg 5.4 yds against West Virginia. UCF no slouch of a team he avg a respectable 3.9 yds/carry. And of course under the lights and national attention of the Hawaii Bowl he avg. 8.0 yds per carry.

He is listed as 5 lbs lighter than Darius Walker, but runs a true 4.3 (both are listed as 5-11). He ran hard between the tackles in the Hawaii game, with excellent body lean.

I have not called him a 1st rounder, thinking of him as a 3rd rounder most of the season. The Boise St. game was my best look at him this season, and I have moved him up because of it. I am not the scout that YTF and beerlover (two guys I have learned a lot from)seem to be, but I do follow the draft and prospects year round.

I like this kid. 4.3 RBs are very rare, and by using a 2 back rotation can be effective. Use him as a kickoff returner, versatile RB who can be split out, get creative, and BTW, the difference between him and Reggie Bush is Chris Johnson is not going to get 40+ million in guaranteed money.
 
I never said he wouldn't play in the NFL. He just won't be a first round pick. There are too many legit, potential backs ahead of him.

West Virginia has NO defense. He did well in the bowl game, but he only averaged 3.48 yards per carry against BCS teams, and if you remove West Virginia's horrible defense, you get a whopping 3.0 yards per carry against real competition.

I think he will be drafted, but not the first round. That is absurd.
 
YoungTexanFan said:
I never said he wouldn't play in the NFL. He just won't be a first round pick. There are too many legit, potential backs ahead of him.

West Virginia has NO defense. He did well in the bowl game, but he only averaged 3.48 yards per carry against BCS teams, and if you remove West Virginia's horrible defense, you get a whopping 3.0 yards per carry against real competition.

I think he will be drafted, but not the first round. That is absurd.
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If he went in the 1st round, he'd go to a team in the last few spots.

Pitt, NE, Colts, etc., are teams who pick up 2nd round guys before 2nd round teams can get to them. It might be "reaching," but those top tier teams can afford to reach with the stockpile of talent that they have accumulated.

Dallas could get rid of Julius Jones (and his veteran contract) and draft Chris Johnson (at a rookie contract), having two pretty good RBs instead of one good RB (Barber) and one lesser RB (Jones).

I certainly think the guy will go in the 2nd round unless a team grabs him very very late in the first, as BPA for what they can get.
 
well looks like mel kiper has this guy in his top 25 seniors. i like the kid could be good for a 3/4 round pciuk for us to help with rb
 
beerlover said:
seems like a poor mans Reggie Bush in the slot receiving RB :)
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Agreed: If anyone spends more than a fourth round pick on the guy I'll be surprised. Let me finish it for you...who will not be able to bang on the inside with the big boys. You guys are prety quick to break Walker and Anderson's rice bowl. There are only so many targets to be had in the slot. Andre Davis, Jacoby Jones...and Now Johnson ? Yeah right. Tell me another one.
 
threetoedpete said:
Agreed: If anyone spends more than a fourth round pick on the guy I'll be surprised. Let me finish it for you...who will not be able to bang on the inside with the big boys. You guys are prety quick to break Walker and Anderson's rice bowl. There are only so many targets to be had in the slot. Andre Davis, Jacoby Jones...and Now Johnson ? Yeah right. Tell me another one.
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Did you watch the bowl game he played in? Here's an accurate representation of his running style (video), featuring him running up the middle and breaking a tackle. Size AND speed.

He wasn't catching passes all day. All I remember is the guy running up the middle and punishing the D all game.

Just looking at his physical attributes: His size, his running style, and how he handles himself on the field is a complete contradiction to the comparison of Reggie Bush. Where you get this Bush comparison is beyond me.

He'll be a Round 1 or 2 selection. You guys all know that Kubiak likes a "one cut and go" back. Isn't this one of those? LOL.
 
GP said:
He wasn't catching passes all day. All I remember is the guy running up the middle and punishing the D all game.
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Johnson ran for 223 yards, caught three passes for 32 yards and returned six kickoffs for 153 yards. seems to be able to do it all like someone else I know.

GP said:
Just looking at his physical attributes: His size, his running style, and how he handles himself on the field is a complete contradiction to the comparison of Reggie Bush. Where you get this Bush comparison is beyond me.
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Reggie Bush ran between the tackles in High School & College. & contrary to popular belief Reggie Bush is neither small or weak. Bush is also 5107 201 lbs. & runs a 4.3 forty plus a dangerous return man thats spot on dude what are you smoking :survivor:

GP said:
He'll be a Round 1 or 2 selection. You guys all know that Kubiak likes a "one cut and go" back. Isn't this one of those? LOL.
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This we agree :)
 
Well when he runs over Haynesworth wake me up. He looks well built. 200 lbs is two hundred pounds...I don't care how fast you are. Eventually the hounds catch the stagg. And it's messy. Long as we don't over spend for the guy whatever. There is only one one he can end up. Get three years out of him...
 
beerlover:

You left out the part where LenDale White actually carried the rock more than Bush in the title game vs. UT. It was highly speculated that LenDale was the less flashy, yet better full-time running back. I think this year in the NFL has proven it to be true: Bush failed to carry his team, even on a well-stacked passing team with Brees and Colston to help keep defenses honest. Meanwhile, LenDale has been an astonishing runner. I would never have htought that he could do it.

Chris Johnson is the true ful-time running back on that team. The offense goes through him, contrary to how Bush was used in USC and on the Saints...as a gimmicky "edge" runner. I don't buy the idea that Bush also run up the middle a lot. I saw way too many clips of him bouncing it to the outside. Whatever he did in high school, he's abandoned in college and in the pros.

Look, I am not a "Get Chris Johnson or else we suck" guy. I just think he's a better fit than the other RBs who are getting rave reviews around here. I don't see what others see in J Stew. I don't think Hart (Michigan) is an NFL back.

Actually, it seems that today's running backs are injury-prone and less of a "sure thing" in today's NFL than in past eras. Therefore, I don't think it matters who we get for a RB--He'll just be injured soon anyways.

Darius Walker prolly did enough to stroke Kubiak's ego anyways. We all know how the Shanny system just loves to unearth those hidden gems at running back.
 
speed kills, both players have it & the Texans need it.

Mendenhall, Stewart & Felix Jones have it too but I would prefer to use the 18th pick to trade down, pick up the extra pick(s). heck, I'd rather have three 2nd rd. picks than one high first round pick. The Texans could draft a lineman, cb & still get a quality back with speed like Johnson.

Johnson however is not going to be an everydown back in the NFL either. he can do it now because of the level of competition. even in College Bush played against bigger, stronger more similar to NFL talent so they used White inside for the tough yardage. thats why the Texans carry a back like Dayne, but we still lack that explosive back who can break the big one.
 
beerlover said:
speed kills, both players have it & the Texans need it.

Mendenhall, Stewart & Felix Jones have it too but I would prefer to use the 18th pick to trade down, pick up the extra pick(s). heck, I'd rather have three 2nd rd. picks than one high first round pick. The Texans could draft a lineman, cb & still get a quality back with speed like Johnson.

Johnson however is not going to be an everydown back in the NFL either. he can do it now because of the level of competition. even in College Bush played against bigger, stronger more similar to NFL talent so they used White inside for the tough yardage. thats why the Texans carry a back like Dayne, but we still lack that explosive back who can break the big one.
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I know I could probably find the answer to this, based on how some of you know the point system for draft picks....

But is there really a way we can get 2 or more 2nd round picks with the 18th overall? That'd be the way to go, based on how much talent we need.

I could see us getting a mid-2nd round and a late 2nd round, but I don'tthink a team is going to hand us a high 2nd round pick for the 18th overall (unless they have a stockpile of 2nd rounders or something, and feel they can gamble on the 18th pick).
 
GP said:
I know I could probably find the answer to this, based on how some of you know the point system for draft picks....

But is there really a way we can get 2 or more 2nd round picks with the 18th overall? That'd be the way to go, based on how much talent we need.

I could see us getting a mid-2nd round and a late 2nd round, but I don'tthink a team is going to hand us a high 2nd round pick for the 18th overall (unless they have a stockpile of 2nd rounders or something, and feel they can gamble on the 18th pick).
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one would have to be through trade, we eat some salary in process to make it more attractive. while I have not seen a NFL team do this, as far as I know there is no limit to the number of times you can trade down. it would probably take two trade downs to aquire the extra picks. something like #18 (900) to Miami #32 (590) + #59 (Miami aquired from San Diego for Chris Chambers) worth 310 points that = 900

I'm not saying its gonna happen I'm just saying it would be cool. I tried to archive one of our own Mock Drafts with posters each selecting for each team, but could not go back that far. anyway Vinny was picking for the Texans & I know he traded down twice in the 1st rd. & addressed several needs in exchange for one pick. his strategy was dropping down just a few picks @ a time thereby building more picks latter. if anyone gets the credit it should be him, as of yet nobody has been able to duplicate the feat.
 
beerlover said:
if anyone gets the credit it should be him, as of yet nobody has been able to duplicate the feat.
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Was it the Niners or the Redskins that did this? They traded down and traded down and traded down and ended up getting a bunch of really great quality guys in the later rounds. It was on that Top Ten show and it was one of the top 10 draft classes of all times.
 
The Pencil Neck said:
Was it the Niners or the Redskins that did this? They traded down and traded down and traded down and ended up getting a bunch of really great quality guys in the later rounds. It was on that Top Ten show and it was one of the top 10 draft classes of all times.
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I think that was the Montana draft. I stand to be corrected. OOps nope. 1986 draft.

Walsh kept moving back. Everyone said he was nutz.

'86 Niners

http://www.nfl.com/draft/history

2 39 Larry Roberts DE Alabama
3 56 Tom Rathman RB Nebraska
3 64 Tim McKyer DB Texas-Arlington
3 76 John Taylor WR Delaware State
4 96 Charles Haley DE James Madison
4 101 Steve Wallace T Auburn
4 102 Kevin Fagan DE Miami (Fla.)
5 131 Pat Miller LB Florida
6 162 Don Griffin DB Middle Tennessee State
8 203 Jim Popp -- Vanderbilt
9 240 Tony Cherry RB Oregon
10 267 Elliston Stinson -- Rice
10 270 Harold Hallman -- Auburn

Full '86 board


http://www.nfl.com/draft/history/fulldraft?season=1986&round=round1


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