Draft Darlings: Dillon Johnson could make Chiefs run game more efficient

Johnson would provide Andy Reid with a strong option in short-yardage situations.

The Kansas City Chiefs have starter Isiah Pacheco and backup Clyde Edwards-Helaire under contract and set for the 2024 NFL season. But they could use some depth competition to the likes of La’Mical Perine and Deneric Prince.

Let’s introduce Washington running back Dillon Johnson. Here’s what we know:

Background

Coming out of high school, Johnson was a three-star recruit from Mississippi. Johnson didn’t have a ton of offers, mainly just carrying in-state interest from Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Johnson chose Mississippi State, where he would play three seasons for the Bulldogs.

Johnson got on the field early as a freshman, putting up 51 carries, 225 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson’s role would expand over the next two seasons, but not significantly. He only started 13 games between his sophomore and junior years. Over that time, he had just 178 carries, 973 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. Johnson was a prominent receiving back in Mike Leach’s offense, putting up 113 catches, 707 yards and a touchdown over two seasons.

Johnson entered the transfer portal in 2022 after a conflict with Leach. Leach passed in December of 2022, and Johnson came out and shared a heartfelt message about Leach’s passing. Johnson doesn’t have character concerns; he just had a falling out with a coach, which happens everywhere.

Johnson transferred to Washington, where he put together his best collegiate season. He had 233 carries, 1,195 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns in his senior year. Although he didn’t contribute as much as a receiver at Washington, he still put up 24 catches and 190 yards receiving. Johnson ended up being a second-team All-Pac-12 member for his season.

Johnson participated in every drill at the NFL Scouting Combine except for agility testing. He came in at 5’11 5/8” (69th percentile) and 217 lbs. (62nd percentile). He didn’t run a good 40-yard dash time at 4.68 seconds (12th percentile) with a 1.62 10-yard split (26th percentile). His jumps weren’t much better, posting a 31 1/2” vertical jump (17th percentile) and 117” broad jump (37th percentile).

Film review

And yet, even with his athletic concerns, I liked Johnson’s film.

Now, does he appear overly athletic? No. Instead, he wins with his size and contact balance. Defenders fall off Johnson all the time. His ability to take hits and leave defenders falling is impressive. He always remains upright as guys try and tackle him. Some of my favorite Johnson plays are him pushing the pile by himself with multiple defenders around him trying to bring him down. Even with a lack of speed, Johnson is tough to tackle in space.

Johnson isn’t overly rangy or explosive, but he is effective in open space. On swing routes, Johnson can use his size and field vision to run over defenders. He’s a very stiff mover, so cutting in space won’t look great, but he can roll downhill and create extra yards.

Johnson didn’t run a lot between the tackles at Washington, but he could do that in the NFL. In the red zone, Washington’s offense would use heavier personnel and be more willing to run downhill, and he looked good doing that. He will never be a zone runner at an NFL level, but as a gap runner who thrives downhill, I could see Johnson being an effective running back in short areas.

How he fits with the Chiefs

There is some sameness between Pacheco and Johnson, but I’d categorize them as two separate players of the same archetype. Pacheco has way more explosive ability and speed and is a threat for a big play every play. Johnson isn’t a threat for an explosive every snap but is efficient down-to-down. He thrives more on contact balance and vision, whereas Pacheco struggles more.

I think Johnson would be a better short-yardage back than Pacheco. The Chiefs have struggled in short-yardage last year, and some of it is Pacheco’s bad vision and decisiveness in short spaces. Johnson could come in and run those runs, making the Chiefs more efficient down-to-down in the run game, especially in tight situations like that.

The bottom line

The Chiefs have a starting running back with Pacheco. More than anything, they need depth in the running back room, but I’d also like different archetypes. Pacheco is a functional starter, but he has real weaknesses in his game. He’s not great at running zone runs or shotgun. Pacheco also lacks elite vision, which makes his running style boom or bust. He’s explosive enough to create huge runs and looks zero fun to tackle, but down to down, he shows some issues.

With the Chiefs’ backup running backs, you’re looking for options to fill in the gaps in Pacheco’s game. Johnson doesn’t solve the issue of the Chiefs running from the shotgun, but in short-yardage situations, he could give Andy Reid a more reliable running back to use in the red zone and those scenarios. Johnson would never take over as the full-time starter, but as a backup and auxiliary piece, he could help this run game out.

Grade: Round 4