PFF Believes Broncos Could Make 'Surprise' First-Round Pick

Depending on how the board breaks on draft night, the Denver Broncos may take a player few saw coming. That player, according to Pro Football Focus, is Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson.

PFF's Trevor Sikkema recently listed Johnson among five potential "surprise" first-round picks — and that the Broncos "could at least consider him" with their top choice.

"Johnson didn’t quite have the athletic showing at the NFL Scouting Combine some expected, but his name still sneakily carries first-round potential simply because his tape at Iowa shows that there aren't many running backs with his combination of size and speed," Sikkema wrote Monday.

"Johnson’s height (6-foot-1), weight (224 pounds), wingspan (78 1/2 inches) and hand size (9 5/8 inches) were all above the 78th percentile for the position. His 4.57-second 40-yard dash placed him in just the 46th percentile, but weight-adjusting that score makes it just fine. Still, some were expecting more, and because of that, his stock seemed to cool.

"But make no mistake, this is a big, explosive back who, behind a zone-heavy blocking scheme, could be a 1,000-yard back early in his rookie contract. Teams such as the Broncos and Steelers (teams that ran a heavy amount of zone in 2024) could at least consider him on Day 1. The Commanders, who deploy more of an even split between zone and man/gap run blocking, are also an intriguing landing spot."

A consensus All-American in 2024, Johnson broke out for a career-best 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry and 128.1 ground yards per game. He added 22 catches for 188 yards and two receiving scores.

Johnson (6-1, 224) met with the Broncos at February's NFL Scouting Combine where he posted a 4.57 forty time and 1.62 ten-yard split. The reigning Big Ten Running Back of the Year also took a top-30 visit to Denver last week.

NFL.com draft guru Lance Zierlein compared Johnson to Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier, replete with a Round 2-3 projection.

"Johnson is built like a bruiser, but his style is more finesse, preferring to win with tempo and decisiveness," Zierlein noted in his scouting profile. "He keeps his runs on time and on track while allowing blockers to do their job. He’s not overly aggressive, but he has the size and strength to break tackles and grab extra yards at the finish. He runs with below-average creativity and cut quickness but has consistent linear play speed to pop chunk runs. He can catch, but his three-down value takes a hit because of his struggles in pass pro. Johnson’s traits and running style make him a projectable fit in a two-back system with the upside to take on a bigger chunk down the road."

While the Broncos are likely to use a premium selection at the position — perhaps even No. 20 overall — it might be likelier that they'd target a runner such as North Carolina's Omarion Hampton or Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, both of whom have been similarly linked to the club.