The Pittsburgh Steelers have a formal meeting scheduled with RB Ashton Jeanty at the NFL Combine, per Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network. Jeanty is the top running back prospect in the draft and could be in play for Pittsburgh’s first-round selection at No. 21 overall.
Jeanty is coming off a season in which he nearly broke Barry Sanders’ single-season FBS rushing record, as he ran for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns while helping lead Boise State to the College Football Playoff. In his latest mock draft, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Jeanty going to Pittsburgh.
With Najee Harris due to hit unrestricted free agency in March, running back will be a need for the Steelers. It’s a deep running back class, but Jeanty is the best of the bunch, and he’s expected to be the first running back off the board. There’s a chance he doesn’t make it to Pittsburgh at No. 21, but if he does, he could be considered.
Each team only gets 45 formal meetings with prospects, so it’s notable when a meeting with a prospect is formal. Those usually include most of the team’s brass, including general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin. The team will also meet informally with prospects, which are usually meetings led by a position coach.
Jeanty isn’t going to participate in testing during the Combine, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, as he’ll only meet with teams and go through medical evaluations. He will work out at his Pro Day at Boise State, however. Multiple top prospects have opted out of participating at the Combine in recent years, including Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders this year in addition to Jeanty.
The Steelers will likely select a running back at some point in the 2025 NFL Draft, with general manager Omar Khan saying how strong the running back talent is in the draft when he met with media earlier today. Jeanty could slot in as an every-down back, although the Steelers also have RB Jaylen Warren, who will be a restricted free agent, but Khan said the team expects to tender Warren.
It’s notable that the Steelers are bringing in Ashton Jeanty for a formal meeting, and it will be interesting to see if the team will once again take a running back in the first round after selecting Najee Harris in the first round in 2021.
