ARIZONA CARDINALS

Arizona Cardinals’ rookie RB David Johnson: ‘I feel like I can do it all’

May 5, 2015, 9:24 AM | Updated: 12:04 pm

Presented By...

Face it, you probably hadn’t heard of David Johnson before last Friday night.

The Arizona Cardinals drafted the running back from Northern Iowa with the 86th selection of the third round in hopes of bolstering their running game, which sputtered in 2014.

While not a household name, Johnson was one of the most complete backs available in this year’s draft. In four years in college, the 6-foot-1, 222-pound back ran for 4,687 yards and 49 touchdowns while catching 141 passes for 1,734 yards and 15 more scores.

With numbers like that on his résumé, it’s easy to see why the rookie is confident as he makes the jump to the NFL.

“I feel like I am a three-down running back,” he told Doug and Wolf Tuesday morning on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “I feel like I can do it all. I can run the ball on first and second down, I can get the short yardage on third and fourth and my ability to catch out of the backfield is another thing I’m really good at.

“I just feel like I can excel at everything.”

Johnson was durable during his college career — a fact which is more impressive when you realize got an astounding 1,007 touches on plays from scrimmage. You might think that a player who is used that much would shy away from physical contact.

Think again. He relishes the contact.

“I think you have to if you want to be a good running back, especially at the next level,” he said. “You kind of have to want the contact and show you’re an aggressive runner.”

Even though Johnson is brimming with confidence, he knows there is plenty he needs to work on as he starts his professional career.

“With me being so tall, it’s a little bit harder for me to get low, so that’s one thing I have to work on is getting my pad level lower, just to be able to blow by those ankle tackles and lower, smaller corners and DBs,” he said.

Johnson, along with the other six Cardinals draft picks and a host of undrafted free agents, will attend a rookie mini-camp starting this Friday at the team’s training facility in Tempe.

Presented By
Western Governors University

Arizona Cardinals

Monti Ossenfort looks on...

Vincent DeAngelis

PFF’s Spielberger grades Cardinals’ free agent class among worst in NFL

PFF's Brad Spielberger gave the Cardinals' free agent class a "C" grade in his latest rankings. It was the worst grade among all 32 teams.

7 hours ago

Jonah Williams pressure Sam Darnold...

Tyler Drake

Report: Free agent DL Jonah Williams visiting Arizona Cardinals this week

Defensive lineman Jonah Williams is visiting the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings this week, according to Aaron Wilson.

16 hours ago

Casita seating at the Arizona Cardinals' State Farm Stadium...

Arizona Sports

Arizona Cardinals’ new suite options at State Farm Stadium include casitas

The Arizona Cardinals on Monday announced new luxury seating options for 2024, including custom casita suites at State Farm Stadium.

20 hours ago

Justin Fields...

Associated Press

Quarterback carousel: Bears trade Justin Fields to Steelers to clear way for top pick

The Chicago Bears traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night for draft compensation.

2 days ago

Kyler Murray...

Arizona Sports

Report: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray’s 2025 guarantees kick in

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray had nearly $30 million guaranteed for the 2025 season kick in by remaining on Arizona's roster by Saturday.

3 days ago

Paris Johnson Jr. celebrates with Kyler Murray...

Tyler Drake

Which side of the line will Cardinals’ Paris Johnson Jr. command in 2024?

Even before the Cardinals released D.J. Humphries, there was already talk of Paris Johnson Jr. making the switch from right to left.

3 days ago

Arizona Cardinals’ rookie RB David Johnson: ‘I feel like I can do it all’