While Najee Harris might not have been the best running back in the league, he was a solid player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his four seasons with them, Harris didn’t miss a single game. Consistency was the name of his game, but this offseason, he left the Steelers for the Los Angeles Chargers. That left Pittsburgh with a hole in its backfield. In the third round of the draft, the Steelers selected Harris’ potential replacement in Kaleb Johnson. The Iowa product recently spoke about his running style, giving fans an idea of the type of player he could be.
“I feel like I’m a versatile back,” Johnson said Monday during an interview with Missi Matthews on the team’s website. “I can be a Derrick Henry back or I can be a Dalvin Cook back. And I felt that’s what separates me from a lot of backs in the league and in this class that I came into. Overall, I feel like I’m a fast back and I could be a strong back also, catch the ball out of the backfield, I’m really reliable.”
Johnson has garnered a few comparisons to Henry, who’s currently a star for the Baltimore Ravens. They’re both taller running backs, playing with a bruising style, but also having some finesse for their size. Like Henry, once Johnson gets a full head of steam, he’s very tough to bring down.
That’s why, despite Johnson’s 40-yard dash time only being a 4.57, he had several long touchdowns in college. If Johnson has a lane, his top speed can be a problem for defenses to stop. Mike Tomlin didn’t seem concerned about his speed, and apparently Johnson doesn’t think it’s going to be a problem either.
Right now, Cook is a free agent, but a few years ago with the Minnesota Vikings he was one of the most electric running backs in the league. Compared to Henry, there was a lot more shiftiness in Cook’s game, paired with his 4.49 speed.
Those are two different backs with very different styles, which makes it so interesting for Johnson to compare himself to them. However, that speaks to his point about versatility. Johnson fits the Steelers’ mold at running back. He’s big, tough, and fights for yards. However, unlike Harris, there’s some juice and burst to Johnson’s game.
Johnson is also a great scheme fit for Arthur Smith’s offense, which tends to feature more outside zone runs. All those things should help Johnson find success in Pittsburgh. While he has things he still needs to work on, pass protection being chief among them, Johnson has acknowledged his weaknesses. And he’s got plenty of strengths that should help balance them out.
Recommended for you