49ers Named Top Fit for Iowa Hawkeyes Superstar

The San Francisco 49ers could represent one of the top destinations for this Iowa Hawkeyes superstar.

Nov 23, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson has declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, which does not come as much of a surprise based on the scintillating season he just had.

But where will Johnson go in the draft, and who will select him?

Well, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski has identified the San Francisco 49ers as one of the very top fits for the Iowa superstar.

"When Johnson gets rolling, the 225-pound back plants decisively and gets downhill while running behind his pads," Sobleski wrote. "He should fit in nicely with zone-heavy schemes that require backs with enough patience and vision to press the hole and then immediately explode through the openings."

Johnson led the Big Ten in both rushing yards (1,537) and rushing touchdowns (21) this year and also set the Hawkeyes' all-time record for rushing scores in a single season.

The 21-year-old arrived at Iowa City in 2022 and registered a solid 779 yards and six scores while averaging 5.2 yards per carry during his freshman campaign. The following year, Johnson took a major step back, finishing with 463 yards and three touchdowns, logging just four yards per attempt.

Johnson then broke out in a big way in 2024, posting a robust 6.4 yards per tote in the midst of his brilliant season.

The 49ers already have Christian McCaffrey in their backfield, but the idea of a McCaffrey-Johnson duo is certainly tantalizing heading into 2025.

Due to the marginalization of running backs in today's NFL, Johnson probalby won't be a first-round pick, but it would not be shocking to see him fly off the board as high as Round 2.