Steelers Now
Entering the weekend of the 2025 NFL Draft, we all knew that the Pittsburgh Steelers were taking a running back at some point; we just didn’t know when they would pull the trigger. We ended up not having to wait long for the Steelers to pull the trigger on Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson.
After landing Derrick Harmon on Thursday night, they fulfilled their biggest need on the roster aside from the obvious gigantic quarterback void. After back-to-back years of heavy investments in the trenches, the offense has a clear vision of winning with their bigs up front in the trenches. Unfortunately, they finished 2024 ranked 26th in rushing success rate despite running the fourth-most rushing attempts in the NFL.
Enter Johnson, an underclassman from Iowa who exploded on the scene by eclipsing over 1,500 rushing yards and a whopping 21 touchdowns in 2024. After an ankle injury derailed his sophomore campaign, the Hawkeyes tailback returned for his junior season with a vengeance, with the most impressive single-season statistical output in program history. Johnson to the Steelers is a pairing that I’ve been wishcasting since the middle of fall, and unsurprisingly, the organization did a ton of homework on him by meeting with him formally at the NFL Combine and inviting him to UPMC Rooney Sports Complex for a pre-draft visit in April.
Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson has met with the Steelers, got a good vibe from Mike Tomlin and the staff.
He’s excited to showcase his speed tomorrow during the 40. pic.twitter.com/KaG73jij6R
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) February 28, 2025
Considering he finished as my third-ranked running back in the class and 38th overall player with a second-round grade, it was surprising to see him still available at this stage of the proceedings. So, what exactly are the Steelers getting in their newest weapon on offense?
For starters, Johnson has the size (6-foot-1, 221 pounds) that this franchise typically covets for the position. He’s a long-striding glider with excellent vision and a perfect balance of patience and decisiveness. Rarely do you see him miss an open crease through the defensive line, but what makes him so special on outside zone concepts is how he sets up his blocks with an innate ability to steer second-level defenders out of position. He finds cutback lanes that most backs cannot. Next, Johnson has very good contact balance to absorb blows, maintain his footing, and continue his momentum upfield. His 4.42 yards after contact per rush ranked second in the class among backs with 200 carries, behind only Ashton Jeanty.
Kaleb Johnson… Poetry in motion… pic.twitter.com/xFaH8DhAaD
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) December 10, 2024
Johnson has an effective stiff arm, pushes the pile by running his feet on contact and consistently finishes reps by falling forward to create hidden yardage. His acceleration through the hole is solid, and when given a runway, he was able to create a ton of chunk plays, including 28 breakaway runs of 15+ yards...
