Kerryon Johnson with the Detroit Lions, 2018
With the Detroit Lions, 2018. Photo: Louis Briscese, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Running back, Auburn, 2015–⁠17

Kerryon Johnson

Number
No. 21
Height
6′0″
Weight
212 lb
Hometown
Huntsville, AL
Born
Jun 30, 1997, in Huntsville, Alabama

Wikipedia readers: about 1,862 a month over the past year

Kerryon Johnson played running back at Auburn (2015–⁠17). He finished ninth in the 2017 Heisman vote. The Detroit Lions took Johnson in round 2, No. 43 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,391
Rushing yards, 2017 (Auburn, 10–⁠4)
National rank
No. 9
In FBS in rushing touchdowns, 2017
Drafted
No. 43
Round 2, 2018 NFL Draft (Detroit Lions)

Career highs

204rushing yards, career highvs. Ole Miss, 20175rushing touchdowns, career highat Missouri, 2017

Honors

Players of the year, conference and regional honors: Wikipedia’s lists (CC BY-SA), each linked from its honor.

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2015Auburn522084.0319
2016Auburn1828954.91147
2017Auburn2851,3914.91860
Career5192,4944.83260

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2015Auburn1415911.4037
2016Auburn171257.4037
2017Auburn241948.1255
Career554788.7255

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2015Auburn143860
2016Auburn122670
Career266530

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosHtWt
2015Auburn21RB
2016Auburn21RB
2017Auburn21RB6′0″212

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2015Auburn760.2178th (n=268)0.1216.09%0.16
2016Auburn2060.1452nd (n=259)0.1328.023%0.22
2017Auburn3120.1972nd (n=287)0.1259.535%0.22

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2017 Auburn 12 games, 1,391 rushing yards, 18 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 2vs.Georgia SouthernW 41–⁠716136160––
Sep 23atMissouriW 51–⁠14184857215
Sep 30vs.Mississippi StateW 49–⁠102311635913
Oct 7vs.Ole MissW 44–⁠2328204348223
Oct 14atLSUL 23–⁠273115612011
Oct 21atArkansasW 52–⁠20216318215
Nov 4atTexas A&MW 42–⁠2729145122529
Nov 11vs.GeorgiaW 40–⁠1732167019266
Nov 18vs.UL MonroeW 42–⁠1422137122314
Nov 25vs.AlabamaW 26–⁠1430104115321
Dec 2vs.GeorgiaL 7–⁠28134401521
Jan 1 ✦vs.UCFL 27–⁠34227111416
2016 Auburn 12 games, 895 rushing yards, 11 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 3vs.ClemsonL 13–⁠1923941181−3
Sep 10vs.Arkansas StateW 51–⁠141812424717
Sep 17vs.Texas A&ML 16–⁠2915601202−2
Sep 24vs.LSUW 18–⁠132293014468
Oct 1vs.UL MonroeW 58–⁠724146222––
Oct 8atMississippi StateW 38–⁠143210101−3
Oct 29atOle MissW 40–⁠291142216243
Nov 5vs.VanderbiltW 23–⁠1693611413
Nov 12atGeorgiaL 7–⁠1322991182−9
Nov 19vs.Alabama A&MW 55–⁠018108131216
Nov 26atAlabamaL 12–⁠30839013––
Jan 2 ✦vs.OklahomaL 19–⁠3593301615
2015 Auburn 12 games, 208 rushing yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultCarYdsTDLongRecRec yds
Sep 12vs.Jacksonville StateW 27–⁠20280917
Sep 19atLSUL 21–⁠4541406317
Sep 26vs.Mississippi StateL 9–⁠17528011332
Oct 3vs.San José StateW 35–⁠2152108––
Oct 15atKentuckyW 30–⁠27936113114
Oct 24atArkansasL 46–⁠54731019111
Oct 31vs.Ole MissL 19–⁠275706––
Nov 7atTexas A&MW 26–⁠1031909343
Nov 14vs.GeorgiaL 13–⁠2021017––
Nov 21vs.IdahoW 56–⁠3413031−2
Nov 28vs.AlabamaL 13–⁠293703––
Dec 30 ✦vs.MemphisW 31–⁠1062419137

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2018
Height5′11½″
Weight213 lb
Arm length32½″
Hand size9¾″
40-yard dash4.52 sW
10-yard split1.63 sW
Vertical jump40″
Broad jump10′6″
Bench press11 reps
3-cone drill7.07 s
20-yard shuttle4.29 s

Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

3 seasons, 32 games with a stat; latest team: Philadelphia Eagles.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2018Detroit Lions10118641332213
2019Detroit Lions8113403310127
2020Detroit Lions1452181219187
NFL career322831,225861527

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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