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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly thinks it’s cool to watch Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson. “He’s a stud,” Kuechly said Wednesday on a conference call. “I think he’s one of those guys that you don’t see a whole lot, just because of what he’s able to do. There are a lot of guys that are really good at running the ball. “There are a lot of guys that are really good at catching the ball. There are a lot of big guys, but he can kind of do everything, and as a competitor, it’s something cool to see. You watch him and he just gains yards. He gets the ball and he’s positive on a lot of plays, and that’s something cool to see.” Johnson is second in the NFL in rushing (681 yards) and receiving for running backs (323 yards). He leads the league in yards from scrimmage with 1,004 and touches with 174.  He’s been Mr. Everything for the Cardinals this season, as Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has put Johnson’s rushing and receiving skills on display in Arizona’s first seven games. Johnson leads the NFL in rushes (146) and is tied for second among running backs with 28 receptions. He accounts for 36.8 percent of the Cardinals’ offense.
“You don’t see a guy with his skill set all that much,” Kuechly said. “And it just gives you an opportunity to kind of go out there and have fun competing.” Kuechly was the NFL’s defensive player of the year in 2013 and is the only player other than J.J. Watt to win the award since 2012. He is third in the NFL with 68 tackles. Johnson’s stretch of seven straight games with more than 100 yards from scrimmage to start 2016 extends to eight if last year’s NFC Championship Game loss is included. He had 128 yards from scrimmage in that game against Carolina. Describing the Cardinals’ offense this season, Kuechly called it “explosive,” primarily because of Johnson. “I think David Johnson is getting better, if that’s possible,” Kuechly said. “I think he’s a really good player. I think he can do a lot of things. He’s big. He’s explosive. He can catch the ball out of the backfield. You can line him up out wide. I think he’s a very dynamic player. “A guy that you don’t see a whole lot just for what he’s able to do, both skill-wise and athletic-wise.”
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