The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson with the No. 83 pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. I can guarantee you that nobody is more excited than offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
His offenses have always leaned heavily on the running game, and the team was missing a big-body feature back after Najee Harris departed in free agency. Smith spoke to the media Friday night via the Steelers’ YouTube channel, and he gushed about the pick.
“I’m extremely excited about getting Kaleb Johnson in here,” Smith said. “Really explosive running back that we spent some time with on a 30 visit here. One of the more instinctive backs I’ve watched in a couple years coming out of the draft. Perfect fit regardless of whatever run scheme you’re running. He ran multiple at Iowa. Really impressive as a volume runner as the game went on.”
Johnson measures in at 6010, 224 pounds, which is exactly the type of back the Steelers have always coveted. With Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell being a little shorter, this rounds out the room well.
He isn’t as well-rounded as Najee Harris was coming out of college relative to third-down responsibilities, but Warren and Gainwell are both excellent in that area.
Mike Tomlin often talks about how players finish, both at the end of plays and throughout the course of a game. Smith specifically cited how impressive Johnson was in the fourth quarters of games.
“What he averaged in the fourth quarter, I believe it was over five yards per carry. Might have been closer to six,” Smith said.
The Steelers’ offense is one of the younger units in the league. Aaron Rodgers will drag that average up if he signs, but that will only last for a year. Beyond adding great players, the Steelers also need some culture setters on the offensive side of the ball. That’s another area where Smith thinks Johnson fits well.
“We think he’s a great culture fit,” Smith said. “Extremely fired up to get Kaleb in here.”
Check out our full scouting report on Johnson below.
