After parting with Najee Harris, how will the Steelers address the running back position? They added Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, but this was always regarded as a year to draft one. While the Steelers tendered Jaylen Warren at the second-round level, they still have work to do. And that could involve some heavy lifting, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests.
While not in favor of it, Dulac wrote recently that he has “been told not to rule out” the Steelers using their first-round pick on a running back. That would be consistent with some of the moves they’ve made, meeting with the likes of Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and TreVeyon Henderson. But they have also scheduled pre-draft meetings with quite a few mid-round prospects, covering their bases.
The Steelers have drafted a running back in the first round twice under Mike Tomlin, most recently with Najee Harris. They opted not to pick up Harris’ fifth-year option and let him walk in free agency earlier this month. In his second season, Tomlin used his first-round pick on Rashard Mendenhall, who also did not see a second contract. Le’Veon Bell was a second-round pick in between and the most successful of the three. They attempted to sign him to a long-term deal, but he balked at the lack of full guarantees.
Many believe the NFL is seeing a revitalization of the running back position, with Saquon Barkley coming off a season for the ages. But more realistically, we are seeing the formulation of a class divide between the replaceable and the irreplaceable. Teams are realizing that you have to pay the Saquon Barkleys what they’re worth. Everybody else, though, you can just turn over as needed. The Steelers, outside of their attempt to retain Bell, have taken that approach under Tomlin.
But what about Jaylen Warren? The Steelers showed how they value him by tendering him at the second-round level, which comes with a contract north of $5 million. Despite that, Dulac believes the Steelers prefer to keep him in his current role as the second back, or 1B.
One reader asked Dulac if the Steelers plan to use Warren as the lead back or if they mean to draft a new lead back with Warren staying in his current role and working in with Kenneth Gainwell?
“I think what you envision at the end of your observation is what you will see,” he replied.
The Steelers entered the 2024 season committed to running the football. While they succeeded in principle via a volume approach, they were not terribly efficient. That’s one of the reasons they were prepared to let Najee Harris walk, envisioning a new lead runner via the draft. Paired with internal growth from the offensive line, they hope to have the sort of rushing offense they’ve long coveted. But are they willing to invest a first-round pick in the position, given the needs elsewhere? While we can’t take the idea off the table, it’s not the ideal solution.
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