The Pittsburgh Steelers selected RB Kaleb Johnson with the 83rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, adding one of the better running backs in the draft who led the Big Ten with 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. In a press conference after the pick was announced, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith praised Johnson’s versatility and said he’ll help an offense that needs to be more explosive.
“We need to get more explosive. And this is an explosive runner, and that’s where he’ll certainly help,” Smith said via the team’s YouTube channel.
As part of being more explosive, Smith said the offense won’t necessarily be run-first.
“You use what you got. You try to play the strengths. We’ve obviously added DK [Metcalf]. We want to be an explosive offense. I think balance is the right word. It doesn’t mean that every game, you’re gonna be, ‘Hey, we’re gonna be exactly 35 carries, 30 passes.’ Whatever way we have to operate to win the game and really, that’s the thing. We want to be more explosive.”
Smith said he views Johnson as an “explosive weapon.”
Johnson broke off runs of 60+ yards in each of his three seasons at Iowa, including a career long of 75 yards that he hit in his freshman year and again last season as a junior. Johnson also became more of a weapon in the passing game last season, as he had 22 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns after only catching seven passes through his first two years. While the Steelers have two very capable pass-catching backs in Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, Johnson proved that’s an area of the game he can contribute as well.
The Steelers offense hasn’t had a lot of splash in recent years, especially in the run game. Jaylen Warren’s 74-yard touchdown run against the Browns in 2023 was the team’s longest run since 2021, and it’s their only run of 40+ yards in that span.
Johnson’s explosiveness should hopefully improve that number, and while he’s a bigger back measuring in at 6010 and 224 pounds at the NFL Combine, he’s shown the ability to break off big plays. Smith seems excited about that aspect of his game. He’s also a good fit for Pittsburgh and Smith’s wide zone scheme. He played in a similar offense at Iowa, which should help the transition to the Steelers be more seamless.
Adding a running back was something the Steelers were going to do in the draft, with nine pre-draft visitors at the position, including Kaleb Johnson. They got to know him well on his visit, and now he’ll have a key part in the backfield and should help give the offense more splash and explosiveness.
