School: Iowa
Year: Jr
Position: RB

Physical Attributes

• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 225
• RAS: DNC
• 40 Time: 4.58

Rankings

• Joe’s Ranking: 6.7
• Consensus Position Rank: 3
• My Position Ranking: 5
• Difference in Ranking: -2
• Tier: 4
• Projected Round: 3

Games Watched

• Ohio State ’24
• Minnesota ’24

Ryan’s Notes

Positives

• Kaleb was struggling against Ohio State for a long time although he has very little opportunity due to OSU’s viscous run defense however with Kaleb all he needs is a bit of daylight and he is powering through at an impressive speed.
• He is able to set up blocks sufficiently with decent patience, this unlocks a path through all three levels as he keeps his eyes up to see the next phase as it’s developing.
• He is a home run threat as a one cut back however his work on the box is not so elusive so he would certainly be a zone runner and I’d worry about him transitioning to gap schemes.
• Johnson has shown a good set of third down skills so far even if he’s not been productive with the ball, his hands are secure and his pass pro work is very good for a young back as he’s able to quickly decipher his target and meet them early.
• He has the requisite speed to be a constant threat to the outside whenever he gets a good deal on the edge and he has taken many of these looks to the house, I think he got away with a few hook blocks from his tight ends which he may not be afforded going forwards but his ability to expose these openings is undeniable.
• His change of direction skills are really sharp when he gets the space/time to switch things up in the backfield he can really catch defenses out.

Negatives

• The power he shows off the edge or in space is not replicated when working in tighter spaces and whilst he shows fairly good footwork he doesn’t quite have the agility or strength to break tackles or get skinny through gaps, this may be a vision issue.
• He has good contact balance when going forwards into would-be tacklers but from the side and behind, especially low, he is vulnerable.
• I just do not like his work in true box runs where blocks have to develop, the only time he really churns for yards is if there is a poor run fit which is not the style of back I want at all.

Ryan’s Summary

Kaleb is an explosive big back who gathers plenty of speed through those big quick strides. He would fit into a zone scheme better as he likes to fire through creases rather than allow blocks to develop and read the block leverages in phase. His vision in the box leaves a lot to be desired but when he’s in space he is a force, he has some abilityto set up blocks on the perimeter too. I like his athletic upside but I worry about his ability to beat NFL defenses where it’s hard to exist at just being a better athlete and I feel he could have the career path of Kenneth Walker where the big moments have too many failings between them.