Bucs Host Texas RB Prospect On Pre-Draft Visit

As the prospect visits and workouts continue to roll on ahead of the NFL Draft later this month, the Bucs had another one on Wednesday. Tampa Bay hosted Texas running back Roschon Johnson on a visit Wednesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted. 

While some mock drafts have projected another Texas running back — Bijan Robinson — to be selected by the Bucs in the first round, Johnson falls more in line with what the team could be looking for. As highly touted of a prospect as Robinson is, he’ll be the first running back off the board and Tampa Bay has more pressing needs to address. Johnson, meanwhile, is a projected mid-round pick with a skill set that would complement that of current Bucs starting running back Rachaad White.

At the NFL Combine, the Bucs did not meet with Robinson. The team did meet with Johnson in an informal capacity, however. Now, the big, bruising back is in for a visit as Tampa Bay looks to gather further intel ahead of the draft later this month.

Johnson Would Complete Bucs’ Backfield With Serious Power

Texas RB Roschon Johnson Photo By: USA Today

With the release of Leonard Fournette earlier this offseason, the Bucs currently have White, new signee Chase Edmonds, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Patrick Laird making up their running backs room. Adding Johnson to the mix would give the group a new level of power.

The 6-foot, 219-pound Johnson is extremely physical and runs with a lot of strength. He solid complement to what Tampa Bay already has at the position. That’s not to say the Bucs don’t get any power from White or any of the other backs, but there’s something to be said about Johnson being a true power back. Per Pro Football Focus, the former Longhorn forced a 45% missed tackle rate over his last two seasons, which was the highest rate of any running back with at least 190 rushing attempts.

Johnson also exceled in the ball security aspect of the game, finishing his college career with just one fumble. That will be a huge positive in the eyes of Bucs coaches, especially new offensive coordinator Dave Canales and new running backs coach Skip Peete. Plus, Johnson is a capable pass protector and has plenty of special teams experience.

Johnson is used to playing the complement, too, as he was stuck behind Robinson at Texas. Nonetheless, he managed to put together four impressively consistent seasons in Austin:

2019: 123 carries, 649 yards, 7 TD, 5.3 avg.
2020: 80 carries, 418 yards, 6 TD, 5.2 avg. 
2021: 96 carries, 569 yards, 5 TD, 5.9 avg.
2022: 93 carries, 554 yards, 5 TD, 6.0 avg.

There’s a case to be made that Johnson has even more value because he had a lesser workload in college. While the sample size and production may take a hit, he might be fresher and have less tread on his tires than a running back who carried the ball 200 times per season at the collegiate level.

Johnson is currently the No. 126 player on PFF’s Big Board, which places him in the fourth-round range. The Bucs don’t currently have a fourth-round pick, but general manager Jason Licht has shown a penchant for making trades on draft weekend over the years.

In Addition To His Skill Set, Johnson Is The Type Of Person Bucs Look For

Texas RB Roschon Johnson Photo By: USA Today

What may be just as important to the Bucs as Johnson’s physical running style, ball security and overall skill set is the fact that he is beloved by his teammates and coaches alike. Toward the end of last season, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke glowingly about Johnson’s impact on the Longhorns program and team-first attitude.

“I think that when you talk about what is a Texas Longhorn football player, in my mind I think of Roschon Johnson because he is a selfless player,” Sarkisian said. “He is not the star or starting running back for the University of Texas, but yet that doesn’t ever get in the way of his work ethic. That does not ever get in the way of his approach. It does not every get in the way of his want-to and want to do well for his team and want to win. He could probably be starting at a bunch of other schools, yet what does he do? He maximizes his opportunities every time he gets it.”

“He doesn’t count his reps, he makes his reps count. He starts on four special teams. He runs down on kickoff and makes tackles, and handles our punt team. He does all the little things the right way. Every time I meet with a young player, I always reference ‘how can you be more like him? That’s what your goal should be because that guy does it the right way. He’s got a bright, bright future on the football field, but he’s got probably a brighter future off the football field because of who he is as a person.”

Robinson, Johnson’s backfield mate at Texas for the last three years, spoke very highly about him at the NFL Combine last month, too.

“Roschon is, first of all, the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Robinson said. “Obviously, he’s a running back, but I think that he brings out so much in a player and a team. Just how he goes about being a leader to not just his teammates but to everybody in the community. I think that who he is as a person and what he does on the football field is, to me, I don’t think it’s overlooked. Because he shows his presence and makes his presence felt.

“But Roschon is the guy, and I think that he’s the other great running back in this class. I don’t think people should overlook the talent that he has and the skill set that he brings because I think he’s just as good as anybody and I think his toughness and his heart is what makes him stand out over everybody.”

The Bucs, especially under the direction of Licht, have been big on high-character guys. Former team captains and leaders are all over the team’s roster, which is why it’s easy to see Licht and Co. thinking very highly of Johnson as both a player and person.

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