It takes a special player to swap green and gold for Minnesota Vikings purple yet still have the love and adulation of Green Bay Packers fans. That's Aaron Jones.
Packers fans hated to see him go, although Josh Jacobs' dominant Pro Bowl season sure helped. Even without Jones, the Packers have a deep and talented backfield, one they added to by signing undrafted rookie Amar Johnson.
The South Dakota State running back not only has a realistic shot at making the Packers' 53-man roster, but he offers something different to the backfield. Something they have missed without Jones.
He is even receiving comparisons to the Packers' franchise legend.
"Johnson has a little Aaron Jones to his game," writes Zach Kruse of Packers Wire. "5-9, 205. Low center of gravity, good contact balance, burst to the perimeter, certainly some shake to avoid tacklers."
It's undoubtedly a bold statement to compare an undrafted rookie to one of the Packers' greatest-ever running backs, but Kruse isn't wrong.
Johnson adds speed and explosiveness to Green Bay's offense, and as Kruse notes, he shares some of the same tackle-breaking ability as Jones. Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson provide plenty of power to the backfield, but Johnson and second-year MarShawn Lloyd can hit a home run.
The Jones comparisons don't stop there, either.
Amar Johnson has already become a favorite among Packers fans
Jones quickly became beloved in Green Bay. It was heartbreaking to see him leave, but he showed incredible loyalty over the years and even took a pay cut to stick around when he didn't need to. Johnson has already won over Packers fans for a draft-day dream we rarely see.
Most prospects don't care where they get drafted. Sure, they may have a preference, but Johnson's goal went further. He actively hoped other teams would pass on him so he could end up in Green Bay.
"So, the whole draft, I was like, 'Please don't draft a running back,' because they were telling me they wanted me before the draft," Johnson told Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. "So, that was big, and I was just so happy to make it official finally and just hoped nobody else drafted me."
He got his wish. How cool is that?
Johnson can make the roster, but he faces a battle — the Packers have Jacobs, Wilson, Lloyd, and Chris Brooks ahead of him.
Sound familiar? Jones was hardly the chosen running back to lead the Packers' backfield, but he gave them no choice. He arrived as a fifth-round rookie and one of three draft picks at the position. Green Bay selected Jamaal Williams ahead of him, joining veteran Ty Montgomery and seventh-rounder Devante Mays. Jones only got an opportunity after Montgomery and Williams went down with injuries in the same game.
Like Jones, Johnson had to wait until Day 3 of the draft.
Packers fans never got their wish of watching Jacobs and Jones play in the same offense. It's unfair to compare any rookie to a franchise legend, let alone an undrafted player who isn't even guaranteed to make the 53-man roster.
That said, Kruse is spot on with his assessment. There is a little Aaron Jones to his game. Like Jones, he has the talent to far exceed expectations and help make a formidable Packers backfield truly unstoppable.