In his five NFL seasons, David Johnson's averaged 10.7 yards per reception.
The running back has been a reliable weapon catching passes out of the backfield and also as a receiver in certain formations, and he's hoping to continue contributing on the ground and through the air in Houston.
"Hopefully I can continue to help out the offense that way," Johnson said during a press conference on Zoom Friday morning.
Johnson and the 40th overall pick in this year's draft came to town from Arizona as part of the deal for receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Since that trade, Johnson's spent a lot of time studying his new offense, which is led by quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Johnson's high-water mark in the NFL came in 2016, when he rumbled for 1,239 yards and 16 scores, and also caught 80 passes for 879 yards and four touchdowns. That ability to be a weapon as a receiver goes back to Clinton, Iowa, when he was an eighth-grader in a dodgeball league.
"I was called 'glue hands'," Johnson joked. "I've always just been able to have the hand-eye coordination to catch the ball, and it's been very effective for me in the league."
For head coach Bill O'Brien, Johnson's effectiveness in the passing game isn't the only attractive part of adding him to the Texans offense.
"He's a three-down back who's had some really productive years," O'Brien said. "Plus the type of guy he is, just been on the phone with him a few times, having met him face to face when he was coming out in the draft, I just am so excited about having him."
Johnson looks forward to joining the Texans, who will begin their virtual offseason program via Zoom and Discord on April 27.
