Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson believes he is a combination of two Pro Bowl running backs.
Pittsburgh Steelers third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson has to fill the big shoes left by Najee Harris, who joined the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. But he is confident he’ll be able to do just that as a combination of two Pro Bowl running backs.
“I feel like I’m a versatile back. I can be a Derrick Henry back or I can be a Dalvin Cook back,” Johnson said via steelers.com. “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, overall, I feel like I’m a fast back and I can be a strong back. Also, catch the ball out of the backfield and be reliable.”
Johnson is putting himself in some elite company. Henry and Cook have a combined nine Pro Bowls, 17,650 rushing yards and 163 touchdowns (rushing and receiving) in their NFL careers.
However, Johnson has already been catching his new team’s attention as a workout freak and has the collegiate production to back it up, too.
In 2024, the 6-foot-1, 224-pound running back rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry and recorded 22 catches for 188 yards and two more scores.
Johnson also put his speed on display. Despite running a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, he reached 22 miles per hour per GPS measurements on field last season, which translates to a 40-yard dash in the 4.3s.
The 21-year-old revealed he’s already been picking Henry’s brain with the hopes of translating his success to the next level as well.
“He’s been texting me and he’s been very motivative, and really just telling me the ins and outs of the league and stuff like that,” Johnson said.
Johnson can’t expect that to continue now that the two are AFC North rivals, but he does seem to have the makings of an elite running back (or two) in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Kaleb Johnson Thinks He’s Combination of Two Pro Bowl Running Backs
