The Pittsburgh Steelers let Najee Harris walk this offseason. Harris had his critics during his time with the Steelers, but no matter how you feel about him, there’s now a bigger hole at the RB position. The Steelers brought in Kenneth Gainwell early during the free agency period. Nonetheless, the current backfield isn’t blowing anyone away.
With Jaylen Warren, Gainwell and Cordarrelle Patterson in the room, the argument can certainly be made that Pittsburgh needs to upgrade the position. The upcoming NFL Draft could be a way to do that. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh is light on picks, with only two in the top 100. Therefore, the veteran market could be an outlet where the Steelers find a running back. That’s what Steelers insider Mark Kaboly thinks the organization will do.
“I mean, I think there’s no doubt that they’ll add a veteran running back after the draft,” Kaboly said Wednesday on the Kaboly + Mack podcast. “It’s just a matter of who.”
This year’s draft is deep at running back, so on the surface, one would think Pittsburgh can find one there. However, it’s not always that simple. The Steelers do have a variety of other positions to address as well. With the 21st overall pick and no second-rounder behind that, the Pittsburgh has to make that first-rounder count. Quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback and the defensive line are all areas that could be addressed early.
There are potential sleepers on the final day of the draft, but the Steelers may opt to wait and sign a running back afterward anyway.
If they do, there are a handful of names that might make sense. Jamaal Williams, Gus Edwards, Ameer Abdullah, J.K. Dobbins and Nick Chubb are some of the better running backs still on the market. While Kaboly doesn’t claim that Chubb is a player Pittsburgh has interest in, he does mention him as a name to keep in mind.
“Honestly, that’s a guy I would keep an eye on. I mean they’ve still got Cordarrelle Patterson on the team, and I don’t know where he really fits in right now,” Kaboly said. “So I can see a swap.”
This does feel like a likely scenario for Patterson. He’s on the roster now, as the Steelers don’t have many real options behind Warren and Gainwell. However, he didn’t have much of a role in 2024. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if Pittsburgh prefers a different back later this offseason.
Chubb is an interesting name, and he’s a player Steelers fans are familiar with. There’s been various rumors about the Steelers potentially having interest in him this offseason, but nothing concrete yet. However, he would fit nicely in the Steelers’ current backfield, adding a level of physicality that isn’t quite there with Warren or Gainwell.
Nick Chubb would be an interesting addition. There’s nothing to suggest the Steelers have definite interest in him, yet. However, especially if they don’t take a back in the draft, don’t be surprised to hear his name pop up more and more.
