After losing Najee Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a sizable hole at the running back position ahead of the 2025 season. Though the Steelers did add Kenneth Gainwell to the mix, the pairing of Gainwell and Jaylen Warren isn’t enough to replace Harris’ durability, power and production outright.
That’s where the deep, talented draft class at the running back position will come into play later this month for the Steelers under GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl.
While they’ve been connected to a first-round running back at times, like North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton and even Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, chances are the Steelers will wait until Day 2 to address a major need, which ESPN’s Brooke Pryor identified as one of the three biggest needs for the franchise moving forward.
For ESPN’s Matt Miller, one player they could — and probably should — target outside of Round 1 to address the need already has plenty of success in the Black and Gold.
That would be Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson.
“Johnson is a throwback runner with power at the point of impact, the agility to bounce runs outside and impressive downhill speed. He’s ideal for the Steelers’ scheme and mentality,” Miller writes regarding Johnson as a potential post-Round 1 target for the Steelers.
Johnson is a name that was connected to the Steelers early on in the pre-draft process due to his success in zone-running concepts, which the Steelers utilize under Arthur Smith. But as of late, Johnson’s name has faded a bit.
That’s not due to his talent or production, because those are both off the charts.
Johnson was outstanding in 2024, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on 240 carries. He also caught 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, showing he can do it all.
Also, he turns just 22 years old in August, and really only had one year of a heavy workload, that coming in 2024.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Jonathan Heitritter had this to say about Johnson:
“Kaleb Johnson is a young, gifted back who is riding one season of high-end production, but he has the full package when it comes to size, burst, strength, vision, and the pass-catching capabilities that you also look for in a feature back. He would do best in a run-heavy, one-cut system where he gets more of a runway to hit full speed as he approaches the line of scrimmage. He can operate in the shotgun as well as a back who can run through you or away from you.
“When looking for a pro comp for Johnson, Melvin Gordon III came to mind as another big, physical former Big Ten running back from Wisconsin who possessed many similar traits that Johnson shows on tape. Gordon’s timed speed wasn’t outstanding, but he played fast and was a strong runner who was tough to bring down. He was drafted in the first round back in 2015, and I foresee Johnson likely going in the first two rounds come April.”
Though Heitritter sees Johnson going in the first two rounds and the Steelers not having a second-round pick, there remains a good chance that they could see him on the board at No. 83 overall in the third round, should they stand pat.
At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson measured in at 6010, 224 pounds and ran a 4.57 40-yard dash, solid numbers for his height and weight.
The Steelers, historically, like big, bruising running backs who can handle a heavy workload. Johnson fits that mold, as he’s in the 87th percentile for height, 79th percentile for weight and in the 96th percentile for arm length at the position. The comparison to Melvin Gordon III is a solid one and landing that type of talent post-Round 1 would be a good add for the Steelers in Smith’s scheme, should he be available.
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