The Pittsburgh Steelers have some serious needs that still need to be addressed this offseason. With the 2025 NFL Draft fast approaching, just how they go about filling those holes will be scrutinized. The Steelers have been bringing in pre-draft visitors, and Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson was one of them last Thursday.
The Steelers let RB Najee Harris walk after four seasons with the team. They signed RB Kenneth Gainwell from the Philadelphia Eagles, but would they really go with a Jaylen Warren-Gainwell combo? They will likely address the position in the draft. If they opt for spending an early pick on the position, college football reporter Bruce Feldman loves Johnson’s fit in Pittsburgh.
“He is a really physical running back, had a terrific season in a system that they like to power and run it down people’s throats if they can,” said Feldman when he joined the Pomp And Joe Show Monday morning on 93.7 The Fan. “I could see him being a thousand-yard back in the NFL. When you watch the Lions, they have David Montgomery, and obviously they have Jahmyr Gibbs. He fits more in the David Montgomery category. I think he is a really, really good football player… I think Kaleb Johnson is a really good fit for the Steelers.”
Johnson had a phenomenal 2024 season. Unfortunately for him, it just so happened that Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty had one of the best seasons for a college running back in history. Regardless of Jeanty’s transcendence, Johnson finished 2024 with 1,537 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns on 240 carries, an average of 6.4 yards per carry. He also chipped in 188 yards and two touchdowns on 22 catches.
Steelers Depot’s Jonathan Heitritter scouted Johnson, and he echoes Feldman’s thoughts on Johnson’s physicality.
“When you pop in the tape on Jonhson, you see a big, athletic runner who plays with the mentality of a linebacker with the ball in his hands,” Heitritter wrote. “He wants to be the hammer on the nail, looking to inflict punishment.”
If that doesn’t sound like a Steelers running back, I don’t know what does. But Johnson isn’t just going to try to run over defenders in the box. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have actually posted a better breakaway percentage (56.1 percent) than Jeanty (52.6). That’s how many carries went for at least 15 yards. That’s consistent big-play ability.
Johnson ran a 4.57 40-yard dash, which isn’t elite speed. But his combination of physicality and speed allows him to consistently gain good yardage. And it’s a faster time than the running back Feldman compares him to, Detroit Lions RB David Montgomery. Montgomery ran a 4.63 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. Since joining the Lions in 2023, Montgomery has averaged 4.4 yards per carry while scoring 25 touchdowns.
Kaleb Johnson would bring a physical presence to the Steelers’ running game without sacrificing the ability to break off longer runs. Pairing him with Jaylen Warren could give the Steelers a potent duo at running back.
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