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After being overshadowed by college superstar Bijan Robinson while on Texas, Chicago Bears rookie running back Roschon Johnson is in danger of being lost in the shuffle again.
The fourth-round pick will be battling free agent acquisition D'Onta Foreman and 2022 breakout Khalil Herbert for carries this season. However, he believes one specific quality will allow him to become an instant difference maker for Chicago.
“Ultimately, from a character standpoint, I feel like you’re going to get a leader at the position who has played quarterback,” Johnson told Under Center podcast, via Sports Mockery's Erik Lambert. “So, it’s kind of like that element of leadership that comes from a quarterback but at the running back spot that you normally don’t get from other guys.”
The 22-year-old was a star high school quarterback at Port Neches-Groves in Texas before converting to running back for the Longhorns. Justin Fields will surely appreciate having another player with a signal-caller's mindset and vision. That type of versatility can do wonders for the Bears next season, as head coach Matt Eberflus continues to figure out how best to utilize his offensive talent.
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Roschon Johnson could make his job easier, especially if he is operating with a QB's high sense of urgency and attention to detail. Anticipating the defense's movements is always crucial when running out of the backfield, but he has a complete perspective to use to his advantage.
“Running backs aren’t necessarily trained to look at defenses like that,” he said. “It’s like OK, you look at what front you got, where the linebackers are and you can kind of get pigeonholed if you’re not used to looking at safeties and kind of just the big picture. I still look at defenses like that.”
Johnson totaled 554 rushing yards and six touchdowns in a secondary role with Texas last season. He hopes all of his physical and mental gifts allow him to truly stand out during his rookie campaign.
