Kaleb Johnson Reminds Former Running Back of NFL Rushing Leader

New Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson reminds former RB Chase Edmonds of a NFL rushing leader.

New Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson has already received comparisons to former All-Pro Le’Veon Bell. But former running back Chase Edmonds believes he has a better comp for the rookie.

“I love Kaleb Johnson’s game. You talk about a guy that has just a natural feel for the zone scheme and he’s able to stretch the field horizontally,” Edmonds said on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.” “Then he puts his foot in the ground, he gets North and South, he’s able to find these lanes in his own scheme. The guy that I see most in Kaleb Johnson, actually kind of runs just like him, is Arian Foster, who had a stellar, stellar career with the Houston Texans.”

If Johnson turns out to be anything like Foster, the Steelers will be counting themselves lucky he was still on the board in the third round (No. 83) of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Foster is a former All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowler, NFL rushing yards leader and two-time NFL rushing touchdowns leader. During his eight seasons in the NFL, he rushed for 6,527 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and 54 touchdowns.

The 6-foot-1, 227-pound running back had four seasons with at least 1,200 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. His best year came in 2010, when a ran for a career-high 1,616 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and 16 touchdowns.

Edmonds is correct in the belief they look very similar. Johnson stands at a very comparable 6-foot-1, 224 pounds and showcased similar big-play ability in 2024, when he rushed for a career-high 1,537 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and 21 touchdowns.

Only time will tell whether Johnson can translate his play to the next level, but if he can, Pittsburgh got a steal on Day 2 of the draft.

This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Kaleb Johnson Reminds Former Running Back of NFL Rushing Leader