After losing workhorse running back Najee Harris in the offseason to the Los Angeles Chargers as a free agent, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a significant need at the running back position entering the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Kenneth Gainwell was added in free agency to shore up some depth and add some explosiveness to the backfield, the Steelers still need that workhorse running back who can handle a heavy workload and round out the room.
To the Steelers’ credit, they’ve done plenty of work on the running back position so far in the pre-draft process. In total, the Steelers brought in nine running backs for official pre-draft visits. They range from first-round guys (UNC’s Omarion Hampton) to Day 3 guys (Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II).
For Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker, with the amount of work the Steelers have done on the RB position so far in the pre-draft process, the worst-case scenario for the Black and Gold would be failing to draft a running back by Round 4 later this week in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“The Steelers executed one of the more unexpected splash moves of this offseason by landing D.K. Metcalf, which assuages the team’s long-standing search for a dynamic receiver next to the impressive George Pickens. Defensive line arguably has become Pittsburgh’s biggest need, but running back can’t be ignored, either,” Locker writes regarding the Steelers and the worst-case scenario. “Najee Harris is no longer a Steeler, and Jaylen Warren (68.3 PFF rushing grade) has proven viable as a backup — but not a clear-cut starter. Meanwhile, new signing Kenneth Gainwell hasn’t even reached a 53.5 PFF rushing grade since 2022.
“Pittsburgh simply cannot go into 2025 with only Warren and Gainwell, needing at least a complementary back who can push for early-down work. That means general manager Omar Khan should absolutely take a back no later than the fourth round.”
There is no scenario in which the Steelers go into the 2025 season with just Warren, Gainwell, and veteran Cordarrelle Patterson at running back, not with the amount of work the Steelers have done on the class ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
They’re going to draft a running back; it just depends on where.
A first-round running back like Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson cannot be ruled out when it comes to the Steelers and the interest they’ve shown. It would be a bit rich to splurge on a running back in the first round with some of the other holes on the roster, but adding a high-end talent at the RB position could be exactly what the offense needs.
Then there are names like Kansas State’s DJ Giddens, UCF’s RJ Harvey, Texas’ Jaydon Blue, Virginia Tech’s Brayshul Tuten, and more that make sense starting in the Round 3 range for the Steelers.
Giving the Steelers two picks to work with before setting a boundary for where to draft a RB before seems a bit unfair, especially in a great running back class with impressive depth and talent. Landing a running back at No. 123 overall in the fourth round wouldn’t be a failure for the Steelers.
In fact, it might be the best allocation of draft capital, depending on how things break on the board. At the very least, the Steelers have three experienced running backs on the roster to lessen the load for a rookie earlier on, should they decide to wait on the position.
