The turbulence atop the 2026 NFL Draft's crop of quarterbacks headlined the college football season. Their partners in crime in the backfield may have had it worse.
Outside of Heisman finalist Jeremiyah Love, nearly every running back struggled to improve upon their preseason hype. In Happy Valley, Penn State's duo lost traction in a lost season. Texas watched its run game fail to support quarterback Arch Manning, and Jam Miller struggled to capitalize on an open Alabama backfield.
It's been a year of disappointments at running back, making risers all the more necessary to monitor throughout the process. One back who put his best foot forward in 2025 was Nebraska Cornhuskers star Emmett Johnson.
Emmett Johnson has a special trait
Johnson led the Big Ten in rushing attempts (251) and yards (1,451) in 2025 while maintaining elite efficiency. It's as strong a platform season as one could ask for, and his consistency was key for an offense enduring quarterback Dylan Raiola's growing pains.
Johnson's agility was ever-present in his film, showcasing above-average footwork and special movement skills. He can make defenders miss in a phone booth and constantly evade defenders with jukes and jump cuts within the structure of the play. His lateral agility also helped him out of structure, allowing him to make the most of botched snaps and mitigate losses, while forcing defenders to earn their tackles.
Johnson is one of the most slippery runners in this class. Paired with above-average burst, there's a clear avenue to creating explosive plays at the next level. Even without truly elite speed, Johnson has the ability to hit the home run. He comfortably turns the corner, has strong curvilinear movement skills, and makes the most of easy reads.
So much to like from Emmett Johnson on this run:
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) November 24, 2025
- Waits a tick to change his tracking angle to freeze the LB
- Explosive advance upfield but still presses tight behind his blocks
- Takes out two defenders at once w/ a double jump cut
- Peripheral vision & decel to divert inside pic.twitter.com/tMDJWNnj1m
Elsewhere, Johnson projects to earn touches in the passing game. He spent his redshirt sophomore season as a third-down back, tallying 39 receptions for 286 yards and two scores. When the workload went his way in 2025, the receiving prowess stayed, generating 370 yards and three additional touchdowns through the air.
There are limitations in pass protection, and his receiving chops won't earn him reps in the slot, but there's a legitimate running back route tree in his skill set, and his catch technique remains strong on errant passes. Perhaps that manifests itself in more early-down screen usage than passing-down reps, but teams will be incentivized to get him the ball in space.
Johnson's weaknesses may keep him from starting
Unfortunately, fun film doesn't correlate perfectly with being an above-average starter at the next level. While I'm not willing to rule that out -- Johnson is both dynamic and consistent -- there are limitations to consider.
For one, Johnson is expected to measure in at about 5'11 and 200 pounds, below-average marks for the position. There will be questions about his ability to handle a workhorse role and whether it is the best way to optimize his skill set. Both are fair. He doesn't profile as a back teams will rush to use in short-yardage and red-zone situations, in part because of that lack of mass.
MORE: Cole Payton gives Senior Bowl small-school boost at quarterback
His size makes him inherently less powerful. There are flashes of contact balance, shaking off arm tackles and keeping his legs churning. But among NFL starters, it is probably a below-average trait. He won't consistently push piles or maximize yardage at the end of runs, despite more than enough competitive toughness.
Likewise, Johnson isn't strong in pass protection. His chips lack effectiveness, and while he's better at picking up blitzers, there's only so much stopping power in a 200-pound frame.
Intangibly, Johnson's proclivity for big-game hunting could lead to growing pains and limit consistency, although he was strong enough within structure to trust. I see this as a relative non-issue, but it could impact his early-season playing time.
Johnson's NFL projection
As things stand, Johnson is one of the biggest risers at his position, and a strong pre-draft circuit should continue to inflate his stock.
His power is a limiting factor, but not a lethal one. There's a world in which Johnson is an above-average starter on the back of his burst and agility, not unlike Breece Hall or Travis Etienne. He largely has the consistency and fundamentals to do so.
| Yards After Contact/Attempt | 2.95 |
| Yards/Route Run | 1.27 |
| EPA/Rush | 0.06 |
| Success Rate | 47.2% |
| Missed Tackles Forced | 68 |
| PFF Pass Block Grade | 43.5 |
Getting Johnson the ball in space will amplify the damage he does at the second level of his between-the-tackle runs. He should rack up receptions near the line of scrimmage and projects well in wide zone offenses, although his flashes of prowess out of pistol looks are an exciting wrinkle.
Johnson projects as an average starter with additional upside, along with some downside risk as an explosive rotational back. In a class without a clear RB2, Johnson's lateral agility and productive junior season have made a strong claim to that title, and a mid-Day 2 selection remains entirely in play.
Excelling in Indianapolis this winter could be the domino that seals his fate as the biggest winner in a down year at running back.
More NFL Draft news
- Top 2026 NFL Draft prospects the Kansas City Chiefs can pick after Patrick Mahomes' injury
- Jeremiyah Love parlays Heisman candidacy into 2026 NFL Draft decision
- One number threatens Rueben Bain Jr.'s 2026 NFL Draft stock
- Arch Manning's NFL Draft decision means doubling down on Texas