Vikings WR Charles Johnson has broken out over his past two games, amassing a total of nine catches for 139 yards and a touchdown. He was the team’s leading receiver, and was also the most targeted. He received some buzz after being drafted by the Packers in the 7th round of the 2013 draft. Things were looking up for Johnson, as he was garnering praise from industry experts, such as UTH’s own Chad Parsons.
The Browns then signed him off the Packers’ practice squad, only to discover days later that he had a torn ACL. Finally, the Vikings signed Johnson off the Browns practice squad on September 20th, 2014. Charles Johnson has developed a nice chemistry with young QB Teddy Bridgewater, and looks to have established himself as the top receiving options on the Vikings.
Production
Charles Johnson had an interesting college experience. After originally committing to Louisville out of high school, Johnson chose to attend Eastern Kentucky. He was suspended by Eastern Kentucky for what he described as “immature things” transferred to Antelope Valley Community College in California. Johnson then decided to take a year off from football to spend time with his ailing father. He had multiple offers from Division I schools such as Kentucky, but after learning that he would only have one year of eligibility remaining, he decided to attend one of the top Division II programs in the nation, Grand Valley State. In his first season at Grand Valley State, Johnson amassed 56 rec for 1030 yards and 15 TD. For Johnson to perform at such a high level after not playing football for a year is a testament to just how talented he truly is. In his second season at the school Johnson accumulated 77 receptions for 1199 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Metrics/Measurables
Johnson is listed as 6’2”, 215lbs. Dez Bryant, Donte Moncrief, Andre Johnson, Allen Robinson, and Keenan Allen all have similar frames. Johnson ran the second fastest 40 time out of all of these players, clocking in at 4.38 at his Pro Day. This would have been the 4th fastest time at the 2012 NFL combine. Because of this, Charles Johnson’s height adjusted speed score (calculated using the following formula: ((((weight*200)*((height/73.5)^2))-height)/(40 time^4)) is an amazing 118. To compare, Bryant received a 129, Moncrief received a 123, Johnson received a 118, Robinson received a score of 113, and Allen received a 96. Charles Johnson also had a Dominator Rating (% of college team’s offensive production ) .5, or 50%. This number puts Johnson on par with the likes of all superstars such as Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryant, and Larry Fitzgerald.
Johnson also tested very well in the vertical jump (39.5 inches) and the broad jump (133 inches). at the 2012 NFL Combine, his vertical jump would have been tied for fourth highest, and his broad jump would have been tied for the highest among all participants. According to Rotoviz, Johnson has the 6th highest Freak Score (which attempts to measure a players explosivness by combining their vertical and broad jump measurements)
of all time, 172.5. This number is even more impressive because Johnson is only 6’2”, which shows just how prolific of an athlete he really is. The only downside of Johnson is his age. He currently is 25.8 years old and is only in his second year in the league, which leaves him on the older side of most receivers. Despite his age, Charles Johnson is still an athletic freak. His off the charts athleticism is displayed in the following highlight video of his Pro Day and games from Grand Valley State:
Final Thoughts
Charles Johnson is an athletic freak who has the ability to dominate a game. He has broken out in his past two games, receiving nearly 28% of the Vikings total targets. This number is good enough for 15th best in the NFL over the two week stretch. Although it is a small sample size, Johnson’s production matches up with the potential that he showed while at Grand Valley State. His best NFL comparison’s would be Donte Moncrief and Andre Johnson. All three receivers have similar frames, height adjusted speed scores, and Freak Scores. Although Johnson played Division II, he did produce one of the highest Dominator Ratings of all time, which shows how high of a potential he has. Johnson should be owned in all dynasty leagues, as he has developed a connection with Minnesota’s quarterback of the future, Teddy Bridgewater. He has clearly emerged as the top receiving option in Minnesota over the past few weeks,and has the potential to be a top 24 fantasy receiver going forward.
