Detroit Lions: Another reason to be excited about Kerryon Johnson

Here’s yet another reason for fans of the Detroit Lions to be excited about their newest running back, second round rookie Kerryon Johnson.

Following the 2017 NFL regular season, we all knew the Detroit Lions focus this offseason would be surrounding their rushing attack. At this point, it’s been beat into the ground that the Motor City had the worst running game in the league last year.

Whether that be due to the lack of rushing talent carrying the ball or injuries suffered by the offensive line, both areas have now been upgraded by Detroit in free agency and via the draft.

But let’s face it, this entire Lions’ team is radically different than the one Detroit fielded in 2017. For starters, Jim Caldwell is no longer at the helm as head coach, for better or worse. Instead, former New England Patroits Matt Patricia has been handed the keys to the franchise. And despite his success as a defensive coordinator, this is his first outing as a head coach … ever.

Defensively, this is a Lions team who has lost some key veterans in players like linebacker Tahir Whitehead and defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. yet, Detroit seems very comfortable relying more on the genius of Patricia’s gameplans and defensive schemes over bringing in big names to support that side of the ball.

During the coaching transition, it was decided to keep the Lions passing game intact. Last season, Detroit had the sixth best passing offense in the NFL. Therefore, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter remains in the Motor City to the delight of quarterback Matthew Stafford and his talented group of receivers.

Now we circle back to the Lions upgraded running game. Three-time Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount was signed back in March as a 31-year old bridge player for this rushing attack. His experience should provide Detroit a reliable runner to help transition this rushing attack in 2018.

The Lions have also secured the offensive line for the foreseeable future, mainly due to this year’s draft. Landing Arkansas center Frank Ragnow in the first round and Oregon tackle Tyrell Crosby in the fifth, Detroit should field their most talented offensive line in years. That’s as long as this unit is able to stay healthy that is, a big issue that hurt the team in 2017.

But one player fans should be really excited about is Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson. Although the second round selection wasn’t considered by some as one of the top prospects at the position in the draft (in part due to injuries), his hard-nosed running style and surprising ability as a receiver out of the backfield could ultimately be the perfect fit for this pass-first offense in Detroit.

"“[Kerryon] Johnson was PFF’s ninth ranked running back heading into the draft,” wrote Michael Renner for Pro Football Focus. “It’s curious [Bob] Quinn didn’t mention Johnson’s receiving ability as that was one of his biggest positives for us. He dropped one pass in his career on 56 catchable targets and broke 15 tackles after the catch.”"

Next: Detroit Lions - 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time

Kerryon Johnson rushed for 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior for the Auburn Tigers in 2017. He also caught 24 passes for 194 yards and two more scores. Averaging 4.9 yards per carry for the past two seasons in college, Johnson’s consistency could usher in a new era at running back for the Lions. And his ability as a receiver make him even more valuable to this offense.