With the team development phase of the year over and the start of the regular season just a couple days away, Kaleb Johnson’s only path to carving out a bigger role on offense will be through making the most of the opportunities given to him. That might only be a handful of carries per game at first behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, but he can grow that role by producing every time he touches the ball.
OT Troy Fautanu is confident he will be able to do that.
“I believe that he’s gonna be able to hit the ground running,” Fautanu said Friday on 102.5 WDVE’s Morning Show with Randy Baumann. “I can’t speak for how many carries he’ll get or how much you’ll see him throughout the season, but I know the opportunities that he will get, he’ll make sure that he takes full advantage. So I’m super excited for him, man. He’s a young guy that’s always willing to learn.”
Johnson’s preseason performance underwhelmed in a lot of ways, but he got better with each game. He had eight carries for 20 yards in his debut, and improved that to 16 carries for 74 yards and two receptions for another 11 yards over the final two games. Averaging over 4.7 yards per touch with his limited opportunities is exactly how he can carve out a bigger role for himself.
After one of the preseason games, Fautanu showered the rookie running back with praise. “As you can see, Kaleb Johnson is a dude,” he said after Johnson’s standout performance against the Buccaneers.
Running backs can often hit the ground running in the NFL more so than other positions, but that’s not always the case. Le’Veon Bell played extensively in his rookie season with just 3.5 yards per carry. It wasn’t until his second season that he blossomed into a back who averaged nearly five yards per carry as a first-team All-Pro.
Jaylen Warren’s extension ensures he will be part of the rotation for the majority of Johnson’s rookie contract. But Johnson will have plenty of opportunities to become the 1A to Warren’s 1B. It’s not out of the question for that change to start happening by the end of this season. Arthur Smith called him a “perfect fit” after he was drafted after all.
