After losing Najee Harris this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers went into the draft knowing they’d have to take a running back at some point. The Steelers found theirs in the third round, with the 83rd overall pick. There, they selected Kaleb Johnson out of Iowa. Johnson makes a lot of sense, given the scheme fit with Arthur Smith, and the spot where Pittsburgh took him.
However, CBS Sports’ Mike Renner isn’t quite as convinced about the selection. Specifically, he points to what he believes to be uncertainty around Smith’s future as the Steelers’ offensive coordinator.
“The Kaleb Johnson pick though, I do question a little bit,” Renner said on CBS Sports HQ. “You’re drafting a guy who’s a scheme fit for Arthur Smith’s offense. And yeah, that’s who your OC [offensive coordinator] is now. Given the track record of Steelers’ OCs, how long is he gonna be your OC? Is he gonna last the entire contract of Kaleb Johnson? You could have waited, and I thought there were still a lot of good players on the board.”
So far, the Johnson selection is getting mostly positive reviews. He’s coming off an outstanding 2024 season, one that saw him lead the Big Ten with 1,537 rushing yards.
We know Kaleb Johnson is a productive back, but the scheme fit here is too obvious to ignore. That’s something that Renner acknowledges himself, despite his doubts about the pick. Johnson had a ton of success in Iowa’s zone scheme, and it’s a similar wide-zone concept that he’ll be in with the Steelers.
However, Renner’s real concern here is in regard to Arthur Smith’s future in Pittsburgh. It’s worth noting that Smith is on a three-year deal, so he’s with the team through 2026.
Smith didn’t have the easiest job in 2024. QB1 Russell Wilson went down shortly before the regular season began with a calf injury. Smith adjusted with Justin Fields and won four games. He then adjusted again once Wilson came back and won six of the first seven games with Wilson behind center. The Steelers during the end of the year, but that was a roster-wide meltdown. All things considered, Smith has done a solid job. Right now, there isn’t any worry that he’d be let go.
However, he could take a job somewhere else. This offseason, he was viewed as a head-coach candidate for both the Jets, and University of North Carolina. If Smith puts together an excellent 2025 season, a situation where he takes a head coaching job could become more realistic.
All things considered, wondering about Smith’s future shouldn’t take away from selecting Johnson. It is nice that Kaleb Johnson such an easy fit in Smith’s offense. But if Smith were to leave, it’s not like that’s the only thing that makes Johnson a good player.
