D'Ernest Johnson

D'Ernest Johnson

28-Year-Old Running BackRB
Jacksonville Jaguars
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Johnson joined Jacksonville on a one-year deal in March but may have a difficult time earning a spot on the season-opening roster. The 27-year-old totaled 671 scrimmage yards and three scores for the Browns during the 2021 campaign, but he received just seven offensive touches last season while primarily playing special teams. Travis Etienne is locked in as the starter with third-round rookie Tank Bigsby also guaranteed a roster spot, leaving Johnson to battle it out for slotting with JaMycal Hasty, Snoop Conner and Quadree Ollison. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars in March of 2024.
Staying with Jacksonsville
RBJacksonville Jaguars
March 12, 2024
Johnson is re-signing with the Jaguars on a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
Johnson operated as the team's No. 3 running back for the majority of last season, seeing limited opportunities behind Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. It likely didn't help that the South Florida product averaged just 2.6 yards per carry on 41 attempts across his 17 appearances. He'll likely head into the Jaguars' offseason program working to hold onto his third-string role in 2024.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do D'Ernest Johnson's 2023 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Broken Tackle %
    The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
  • Positive Run %
    The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
  • % Yds After Contact
    The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
  • Avg Yds After Contact
    The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
  • Rushing TD %
    Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
  • Touches Per Game
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
  • % Snaps w/Touch
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Broken Tackle %
7.3%
 
Positive Run %
78.0%
 
% Yds After Contact
68.5%
 
Avg Yds After Contact
1.8
 
Rushing TD %
0.0%
 
Touches Per Game
3.0
 
% Snaps w/Touch
27.1%
 
Air Yards Per Game
0.4
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.03
 
% Team Air Yards
0.1%
 
% Team Targets
2.0%
 
Avg Depth of Target
0.5 Yds
 
Catch Rate
83.3%
 
Drop Rate
0.0%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
13.7
 
% Targeted On Route
10.8%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.26
 
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2023
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2022 NFL Game Log
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2021 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Jacksonville JaguarsJaguars 2023 RB Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

81673%
18817%
13412%
61%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where D'Ernest Johnson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2023 D'Ernest Johnson Split Stats
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
Arguably the best No. 3 back in the league, Johnson got a chance to show what he could do last year when both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were out midseason. As the starter Week 7 against Denver, Johnson erupted for 168 total yards and a TD, then added 157 more yards a few weeks later against the Patriots. While he doesn't have breakaway speed, he runs with impressive power and finds a way to grind out extra yards, recording 10 broken tackles on only 100 carries last year. That was the fifth-best rate in the league among backs with triple-digit carries, and only a hair behind Chubb's 9.9 carries per broken tackle. Cleveland's passing game will be a bigger point of emphasis with Deshaun Watson under center, however, and while Johnson should be effective again with his touches, he'd probably need a serious injury ahead of him on the depth chart (or a trade) to see significant volume.
By the end of the 2020 season, Johnson carved out a niche role as Cleveland's primary kick and punt returner. He appeared in all 16 games for the second straight season, and there's something to be said for being healthy and reliable. The third-year back had one big game against Dallas in Week 4 when Nick Chubb wasn't available, but his role on offense was limited once Chubb and Kareem Hunt were both healthy. The Browns drafted running back Demetric Felton, who duplicates Johnson's skills, so there may be room on the roster for just one of the two.
Johnson moved from the Alliance of Amercian Football (AAF) to the NFL prior to the 2019 season and stuck around with the Browns for the full season, appearing in all 16 games. The 23-year-old running back had some early contributions while Dontrell Hilliard (concussion) and Kareem Hunt (suspension) were unavailable, but he was mainly a special-teamer. With Hunt and Nick Chubb in place, the all-purpose Johnson, who is under team control for another two seasons, is expected to compete for the third running back job with Hilliard and could be the primary punt returner in 2020.
With Kareem Hunt serving an eight-game suspension and Duke Johnson having been traded to the Texans, Johnson faces the opportunity to carve out a reserve role behind Nick Chubb. Dontrell Hilliard appears to be ahead on the depth chart, but Johnson could see notable snaps in a high-powered Browns offense if Chubb were to miss any time.
More Fantasy News
Finishes season in No. 3 role
RBJacksonville Jaguars
January 23, 2024
Johnson carried once for minus-one yard versus the Titans in Week 18. He played in all 17 games and had 41 rushes for 108 yards and 10 catches for 140 yards this season.
ANALYSIS
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Diminishing role
RBJacksonville Jaguars
January 1, 2024
Johnson had three carries for zero yards and returned one kickoff for 22 yards during Sunday's 26-0 win against Carolina.
ANALYSIS
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Minimal role Week 16
RBJacksonville Jaguars
December 24, 2023
Johnson rushed once for two yards during Sunday's 30-12 loss to the Buccaneers.
ANALYSIS
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Two touches Week 15
RBJacksonville Jaguars
December 18, 2023
Johnson carried twice for five yards and wasn't targeted during Sunday's 23-7 loss against the Ravens.
ANALYSIS
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Good to go against Baltimore
RBJacksonville Jaguars
December 15, 2023
Johnson (knee) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday night's game against the Ravens, Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union reports.
ANALYSIS
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