The Pittsburgh Steelers were linked to Day 2 running backs throughout the draft process due to the impending departure of first-round running back Najee Harris.
Having run his course, the Steelers weren’t in a position to pay up for a running back. After his explosiveness seemed stunted and his effectiveness fell below expectations, the need to grow younger, cheaper, and faster in the backfield.
In Round 3, Pittsburgh picked Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, offering the promise of checking each of those boxes.
Needless to say, Johnson’s $1.6 million average annual value is cheaper than any first-round running back, Harris’ current $5.25 million deal, and the $5.35 million tender teammate Jaylen Warren signed (Over the Cap). He isn’t the fastest back, running just a 4.58-second 40-yard dash, but he accesses his top speed more frequently than Harris without sacrificing the physicality of his 224-pound frame.
Johnson will compete for the starting job alongside Warren, and there’s reason to believe Johnson’s scheme fit stands out with the Steelers.
He’s at his best as a zone rusher, even without elite speed, and has plenty of experience with the concept. According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson ran 191 times in zone concepts, compared to just 48 gap runs.
In Pittsburgh, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s debut season saw a similar trend. Harris rushed 192 times on zone concepts, with just 76 gap runs in 2024. That gap is tighter given the flexibility teams have to at least pretend to have, but Smith was expected to tailor his ground game to Harris’ talents, which might skew against the zone concepts he prefers to run.
Clearly, he didn’t.
Johnson, meanwhile, fits that vision much better. With strong technique in zone, the burst to hit those holes, and impressive tackle-breaking ability, he projects as a better fit than Harris and a key cog in the Steelers’ offensive machine.
Smith spoke to the team’s website about Johnson’s arrival shortly after his selection.
"Excited about getting Kaleb Johnson in here," said Smith. "Really explosive running back that we spent some time with on a 30 visit here. One of the more instinctive backs that I've watched in a couple of years coming out of the draft.
"Perfect fit regardless of whatever run scheme you're running. He ran multiple at Iowa. Really impressive as a volume runner as the game went on, and one of the more impressive stats you've seen is the fourth quarter -- what he averaged in the fourth quarter. I believe it was over five yards per carry. Might have been closer to six.
"We think he's a great culture fit. Obviously extremely fired up to get Kaleb in here."
Related: Steelers Add Explosive Defensive Tackle in Round 1
Related: Tomlin Reveals Defining Trait of Steelers' 2025 Draft Class
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