Iowa Superstar Earns Another Massive NFL Draft Take

This Iowa Hawkeyes superstar is becoming a very popular name in NFL Draft discussions.

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson (2) carries the ball against Wisconsin Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Iowa Hawkeyes running back Kaleb Johnson was one of the most pleasant surprises in the country this year, as he broke out in the biggest way imaginable.

Johnson racked up 1,537 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns in 2024, both of which led the Big Ten. He also averaged a robust 6.4 yards per carry, and he broke Shonn Greene's mark for the most single-season rushing scores in Iowa history.

As a result, the 21-year-old has been a fast riser on NFL Draft boards, and Isaac Zuniga of Last Word On Sports has connected the Hawkeyes superstar to a very intriguing NFL team: the Chicago Bears.

"The hype with Kaleb Johnson is real," Zuniga wrote. "Forcing 66 missed tackles and racking up 1,060 yards after contact is nothing short of incredible—that’s an average of 0.25 missed tackles per touch. To put that in perspective, Jahmyr Gibbs posted a 0.19 missed tackle rate in college, and Saquon Barkley had a 0.23 rate. Both running backs were drafted in the first round. While FFRPG ranks Johnson as their RB5 and NFLDraftBuzz places him as RB3, in most drafts, he’d easily be the RB1."

Johnson could very well end up going as soon as the second round of the draft in April, and the Bears may end up taking a look at him.

Chicago signed D'Andre Swift to a three-year deal in free agency last March, but Swift was a significant disappointment during his debut campaign in the Windy City, posting just 3.8 yards per attempt.

The Bears absolutely need to get quarterback Caleb Williams as much help as he can get, so bringing in an elite rusher like Johnson would be a major boon for the offense.

Of course, whether or not Johnson will actually be available for Chicago to pick is anyone's guess.