ESPN: David Johnson is a dark horse MVP candidate
Aug 29, 2016, 12:58 PM
Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) runs for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Another week, another list David Johnson shows up on.
On Monday, ESPN Insiders held an awards day, naming who they thought would take home hardware at the end of the season.
With the likes of Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers garnering some attention, Field Yates dubbed Johnson as his dark horse MVP candidate.
There isn’t a hole in Johnson’s game. He’s an adept runner between the tackles with the burst to get to the edge and is one of the league’s finest pass-catching backs. If Arizona gives him 250-plus touches this season, he could be in the MVP mix.
After being drafted in the third round of last year’s draft, there wasn’t much hype about the kid from Northern Iowa. He quickly turned the heads of people around the league, as he propelled himself into the spotlight in 2015.
As a rookie, he led the team with 13 touchdowns, showing signs of someone special. In Sunday’s 34-24 loss to the Houston Texans, Johnson showed he is close to midseason form as he had 28 yards on six carries, including a 16-yard scamper and a touchdown in limited action.
Although there are bigger names in the league right now, many have taken notice of Johnson. There is no more quiet ascension or surprise performances for the second-year back. There is a certain amount of expectations set, and all eyes will be on David Johnson in 2016.
