Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren turned heads in his rookie season as an undrafted free agent, averaging 4.9 yards per carry on 77 rushing attempts. He also caught 28 passes for 214 yards, 7.6 yards per reception.
While it may have only been a limited workload, there’s no question Warren showed an ability to make a play with the ball in his hands. Yet when he spoke with the media on Wednesday, he talked about his need to play even faster per Steelers.com, a focus for this year’s training camp.
“Recognizing defenses a little faster so I can play faster,” Warren said. “I’m a little comfortable just because I’ve got a season under my belt, but as far as recognizing… defenses and what’s coming and what’s not so I can play faster.”
Warren showed off his playmaking ability in college where he appeared in 28 games, 15 with Utah State before playing his final year with Oklahoma State. He carried the ball 407 total times for 2,037 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging five yards a carry. He also had 45 catches for 440 yards for 9.8 yards per reception.
It did take some time during the 2022 season for Warren to see an increase in playing time, but evidently, he grew more comfortable as the season progressed. In Week Eight’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Warren saw a then-season high six carries that he took for 50 yards, an 8.33 yards-per-carry mark that was his season-best.
Warren then had three more games that season averaging five or more yards per carry (one of which was a single carry against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12, though.) He finished the season strong with back-to-back performances of at least six yards per carry, including a 12-carry, 76-yard performance in the Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens. He also had three catches for 22 yards in that game, averaging 7.33 yards per reception.
Warren also had almost half his season carries in the final four weeks of the season, receiving double-digit carries in wins over the Carolina Panthers in Week 14 and the aforementioned Week 16 game against the Ravens.
So with one season under Warren’s belt, he has already shown an ability to improve with experience. Now that he has a full offseason and with the improvements up front on the offensive line, Warren should be able to play even faster in 2023. That will be a big boost to the offense, even as a backup to RB Najee Harris.
