The hype and overall expectations entering Year 2 for undrafted running back Jaylen Warren remains rather high ahead of the 2023 season.
Warren showed up to Organized Team Activities looking a bit bigger and thicker in his lower half and appears poised for a strong second season with the Steelers,. CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan seems to agree, highlighting Warren as a player in the AFC who “can be a star” in 2023.
“Jaylen Warren was one of the bigger surprises for the Steelers in 2022 after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State. While Najee Harris will continue to be the lead back and get the lion’s share of the touches, Warren should see some more work as the No. 2 on the depth chart, especially after a solid showing as a rookie where he averaged 5.6 yards per touch,” Sullivan writes regarding Warren’s potential in 2023 for CBSSports.com. “Warren averaged 6.5 touches last season. Even if that increases to 10 touches, his ability as both a pass-catcher and pure runner should help create a change of pace in Pittsburgh’s backfield and keep Harris fresh.”
Warren was certainly one of the biggest surprises in 2022 for the Steelers, working his way from buried on the depth chart entering minicamp and training camp into the No. 2 role behind Najee Harris. In that role, Warren rushed for 379 yards and a touchdown on 77 carries and added 28 receptions for 214 yards for the Steelers, providing some strong play in a backup role.
Warren often found himself on the field in passing situations when he could catch the ball out of the backfield in large part due to his work in pass protection. Warren was rather good in that area of the game, providing some serious toughness and physicality in front of quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.
At times last season, Warren was the spark plug the Steelers’ offense needed. That enabled him to really take over as the No. 2 behind Harris, working his way into the third-down back role starting in Week 5.
Warren’s emergence helped keep Harris fresh and healthy and allowed him to run like a first-round pick down the stretch as Pittsburgh leaned on, and won with, its running game in the second half of the season.
Coming off of a strong rookie season that very clearly has him on the map not only in Pittsburgh but across the league, the onus is now on Warren. He has to take that next step as a runner and receiver while still carrying on that dominance in pass protection and bringing serious physicality to the position overall.
If he can take that next step, stardom could be on the horizon for Warren. Should he push closer to 10 touches a game like Sullivan suggests, his numbers should greatly improve. That could have him becoming a household name at the position, even if he’s behind Harris on the depth chart.
