Chris Johnson, 2008 NFL Draft Prospect

Running Back 5' 11" 195 lbs. Speed: 4.24 Broad Jump: 10' 10" Senior East Carolina

Running back Chris Johnson will draw a lot of interest from NFL Scouts because of his blazing speed and versatility. He is kind of a hybrid player, half running back, half receiver. Johnson has nice size (5’ 11” 195 lbs) and blazing speed. He was clocked at 4.39 in the 40 yard dash in the spring. The NFL loves speedy running backs with great hands and that is exactly what Johnson is. He can also contribute as a kick returner on special teams.

This year (2007) Johnson finished ranked #1 in the NCAA in all purpose yards with an average of 212 yards per game. He recorded 1200 rushing yards, 496 receiving and 856 returning kicks. He has the speed to score from anywhere on the field as evidenced by his 16 rushing touchdowns. His combined 22 TDs ranked him 3rd in the nation in points scored. Watch some game film on this kid, defensive players just can't get an angle on him, he is just too fast.

He is comfortable lining up in the backfield, splitting out wide as a receiver or returning kicks and punts. I look for Johnson to get an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine where he should set the track on fire with his speed and athleticism. His only weakness right now is his ability to hold onto the football, he has fumbled on occasion and he will need to improve in that area in the NFL.

During the 2007/2008 Hawaii Bowl, Johnson just exploded, he set a Division 1 NCAA bowl record with 408 all-purpose yards. He rushed for 223 yards and 1 TD, caught three passes for 32 yards and returned six kickoffs for 153 yards. See the video highlights here: LINK

Last year (2006) as a junior, despite suffering a neck injury in the spring, he led his team in rushing for the 3rd consecutive year with 972 all-purpose yards: 314 rushing, 176 receiving and 482 on kickoff returns. He was selected to the First Team All-Conference USA team as a kick returner, where he ranked fourth among all Conference USA kick returners averaging 23 yards per kick return.

In 2005 as a sophomore, he started all 11 games at running back and led his team in rushing with 684 yards on 176 carries and six rushing touchdowns. He also caught 35 passes for 356 yards.

As a true freshman in 2004 he played in all 11 games and was selected to the Conference USA All-Freshman squad as a running back and kickoff return specialist. He was also selected as East Carolina’s "Outstanding Newcomer-of-the-Year” and he led the Pirates in rushing yards (561), kickoff return yards (765) and all-purpose yards (1,562). He set a total of eight ECU freshman single game or single-season records.

Coming out of high school Johnson was rated among the top 100 players in state of Florida by Super-Prep Magazine. Chris Johnson is also a weight room warrior, he recorded prep power numbers of 265 (clean-lift) and 315 (bench-press) and was timed at 10.62 in the 100-meter sprint. He ran the anchor leg on fastest 4x100 relay team in the nation and won the Golden South and Golden West national titles in track.

Update: Chris Johnson was the fastest player at the 2008 NFL Scouting combine running an amazing 4.25 forty. He also recorded a nice 10' 10" broad jump. Johnson could easily be a late first round draft pick now, speed can't be taught, and for teams needing an explosive offensive playmaker, the tease of Johnson's game breaking speed will be to hard to pass up.