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Everything with the Pittsburgh Steelers has been centered on Aaron Rodgers lately. But the team has other irons in the fire. Also, the Steelers have a rising rookie who is turning heads in the team’s 2025 OTAs.
The Steelers went heavy defense early in the draft, taking three players on that side of the ball with their first four picks. But the guy they got in the second round, running back Kaleb Johnson, has been making the organization take notice.
Johnson is a big back at 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds. He also has a nose for the end zone with 21 scores for Iowa last season.
Things are going well, but Johnson said he knows he must get better at protecting the quarterback. That’s especially true with an aging Rodgers now entrenched behind center. Johnson said he’s trying to learn fast, according to pennlive.com.
“I feel like it’s very new because at Iowa I was really not like really not focused on technique,” Johnson said. “But it really wasn’t bringing the hips. It was really strike, hit, make sure the quarterback’s cool to make a throw. But now it’s more here, it’s more technique, it’s more formative, and stuff like that here. So I’m just gotta get my stuff down, so that’s why I’m here to work.”
Johnson figures to get the ball quite a bit on early downs. But Jaylen Warren seems to be the best bet for more third-down work. And it centers on Warren’s ability to get things done correctly in pass protection. But Johnson has kept his sight set high.
“I wanna get better,” Johnson said. “I wanna be one of the best out here. So I’m just gonna keep striving to do my great and keep learning from the vets, like Jonathan Ward and Jaylen Waren.”
One good thing about Johnson is his confidence. It’s something almost every NFL player needs to bring into the league. It doesn’t always stick. But without it, a player can get overwhelmed. It hasn’t been a problem for Johnson, who picked a pair of high-level comparisons for his game, according to the Steelers’ YouTube page via nfl.com.
“I feel like I’m a versatile back,” Johnson said. “I could be a Derrick Henry back, or I could be a Dalvin Cook back. And I feel like that’s what separates me from a lot of backs in the league and in this class that I came into because I just feel like, you know, overall. I feel like I’m a fast back, and I could be a strong back, also catch the ball in the backfield, and be reliable.”
Johnson said he communicated with Henry during the draft process.
“I’ve been texting him and he’s been texting me,” Johnson said. “He’s been very motivating and really just telling me the ins and outs of the league and stuff like that. So, that was very exciting.”...
