The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette seems to be expecting big things out of the rookie running back. After the draft, Dulac said that Johnson has a “very good chance” of winning the starting running back job by midseason, and during his weekly chat earlier this week, he said that Johnson would be Pittsburgh’s biggest surprise by the end of the year.
Johnson excelled in a zone scheme at Iowa, and he’ll be playing for a Steelers team that will run plenty of zone under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. After the draft, he said that the Steelers had to pivot last year from running as much zone as he would’ve liked, but with someone who’s already familiar with the principles of it in Johnson, Smith can go back to running what he wants.
Jaylen Warren will get the first crack to win Pittsburgh’s starting job, and it’s expected that he’ll open the season as the starting running back. But Johnson will have plenty of opportunities even with Warren starting, and if he takes advantage of them, he could wind up taking over as Pittsburgh’s starter at some point.
Johnson’s ability to break off explosive runs was one of his defining traits at Iowa, and his size allows him to run through defenders but he’s smooth enough and has good enough vision to break through holes when they open for him. Even people who aren’t very high on Johnson, like NFL film guru Greg Cosell, think he can excel in a zone scheme if the offensive linemen do their job.
The player and team fit is ideal with Johnson and the Steelers, and it’s not surprising that Dulac thinks he could be someone who surprises. The Steelers lost Najee Harris this offseason and while they also signed Kenneth Gainwell, there’s a lot of production they’re going to need to replace from their backfield. Johnson will need to play a key role in helping the Steelers’ run game exceed what it did last season.
Dulac’s colleague, Ray Fittipaldo, said that Kaleb Johnson was a standout during rookie minicamp, and with on-field OTA work set to begin this week, Johnson’s performance against Pittsburgh’s defense will be worth watching. The Steelers made defending the run a focus this offseason, but it’ll be Johnson’s first reps against non-rookies in a Steelers uniform, and if he stands out, his chances of playing a bigger role early in the season will only increase.
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