Bears’ ‘Under the Radar’ Rookie Poised for Breakout NFL Debut
The Chicago Bears will have what looks like a strong group of rookies who will make big contributions on both sides of the ball. One of them, however, is still largely unknown.
On Saturday, September 2, multiple ESPN writers put together a list of players who are still under the radar even though the NFL season starts in just a few days.
Roschon Johnson, a running back for the Bears, is the second person on that list.
The story says, "You might not expect fourth-round draft picks to make a big difference, but Johnson could be this year's Dameon Pierce, a Day-3 pick who ends up leading his team in rushing.
Johnson was the backup to [Bijan] Robinson at Texas, so he didn't get a lot of runs. But at 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds, he's a powerful back who can play on all three downs.
In the backfield, he is also a great pass catcher and defender. In Chicago, there are a lot of running backs, so Johnson might not be the Week 1 starter.
However, by the middle of the season, he could be the one who gets the most touches.
Johnson joined the team as what could have been the third-string running back, after free agent signing D'Onta Foreman and third-year player Khalil Herbert, who is expected to start in Week 1.
Herbert spent his first two seasons in the NFL playing behind David Montgomery, while Foreman, who is 27 years old, joined the Bears in March on a one-year deal worth $2 million, of which half is guaranteed.