The Facts: In the Amazon Prime video series All or Nothing: A Season with the Arizona Cardinals, which debuted Friday, we discover that Arizona's war room had zeroed in on shifty Ameer Abdullah with the No. 58 overall pick in the draft. After the Lions selected Adbullah ahead of him, GM Steve Keim ended up "settling" for Johnson one round later with the No. 86 pick. While Abdullah has a bright future in his own right, the Cardinals couldn't be more thrilled to have the more physical Johnson leading their backfield. During the team's 38-8 blowout victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, All or Nothing's cameras caught All-Pro defensive back Tyrann Mathieu comparing the rookie running back to one of the best players of the 21st century. "He kind of reminds me of Marshall Faulk," Mathieu raved on the sideline. "But he's just bigger than him."
Diehards Line:
As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling notes, Mathieu shares a New Orleans heritage with Faulk; this is not a comparison he makes lightly. It's not the first time Johnson has been mentioned in the same breath with a Hall of Fame talent. Cardinals offensive consultant Tom Moore has compared the former Northern Iowa standout to former Steelers great Franco Harris for his unique combination of size, speed, power and receiving ability. After hearing an awestruck Keim marvel in mid-February about Johnson's "scary" potential as a three-down back with rare size, speed and natural receiving ability, HC Bruce Arians also offered praise. "I can't say after one year's work that he is one of the best," Arians replied, "but he's got a chance to be one of the all-time best." The production is already there. From the time he entered the starting lineup in Week 13, no NFL player averaged more yards from scrimmage per game than Johnson's 131.7. In addition, Johnson set a franchise rookie record with 13 touchdowns last season. He obviously has a long way to go before he lives up to the heady comparisons; but fantasy owners looking to land him this summer are going to have to pay a significant premium.