When the Chicago Bears saw the team draft Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, they assumed it was bad news for Khalil Herbert. However, that is only the case if you went into the draft assuming that the Bears were going to use Herbert like the New York Giants use Saquon Barkley.
Chicago Bears drafting Roschon Johnson helps Khalil Herbert
Khalil Herbert was always going to be in a committee with the Chicago Bears. He lacks the power, he is not a great pass catcher, and he is a poor pass protector. However, he is a big playback, and when he gets carries, he consistently picks up more yards than expected because of his speed and decision-making.
So, in a three-man committee, there is the thunder, lightning, and third-down back. Entering the NFL draft the Chicago Bears signed Travis Homer and D'onta Foreman in free agency. You could easily make the case for Homer to be the third down guy, while Foreman would be the thunder. The key takeaway is that both of these backs complimented Herbert, and did not take away from what he does best.
When the Chicago Bears drafted Roschon Johnson fans wanted to claim that he will be the next man in the backfield, but you have to remember that he not only fell to round four, the Chicago Bears had him with the first pick of round four and traded back. They liked him, but not as much as the Saints liked Nick Saldiveri.
Roschon Johnson may end up leading the way, but it will always be a committee. One of the huge knocks against Johnson and his game is that he does not have the breakaway speed. Some of the pros to his game include being a willing pass protector, and also having size and ability to plow forward.
So, if anything the Chicago Bears reduced a three-man committee to two by adding Johnson who brings a lot of the same strengths that Homer and Foreman bring together. None of these three backs are the big play hitters or the efficient outside zone runners that compete with Herbert and his role. All of them are players who have a specific skill set that compliments their weaknesses of Herbert and will help highlight their strengths.
The Chicago Bears may end up taking shots on speed backs next year as they let Herbert go, but for the 2023 NFL season he will be in line to get plenty of carries, and by the end of the season the rotation could just be Herbert and Johnson, as they have great complimentary skill sets.