Across the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft, ESPN’s longtime NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has been incredulous at the surprising fall of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
That fall continued Friday night as Sanders fell out of the second and third rounds, leading to him being available to open the day on Saturday in Green Bay. With that fall for Sanders, the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on the Colorado star at No. 83 overall, instead going with Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, adding a significant play-maker to the backfield for the Black and Gold.
Johnson is a player that Kiper believes will be good in the Steelers’ offense under coordinator Arthur Smith, but in his post-Day 2 recap for ESPN.com, Kiper called it a risky pick because the Steelers passed on his No. 1 quarterback for the second time.
“Kaleb Johnson is going to be really good in the Steelers’ offense, and No. 83 was a good spot to get him. Or at least it would have been if the Steelers already had a quarterback. Pittsburgh must feel really confident that it will sign Aaron Rodgers,” Kiper writes regarding the selection of Johnson and why he’s questioning it. “Because if that doesn’t happen, I don’t see this team being competitive in the AFC North. And it makes me question going out and getting DK Metcalf for a premium pick a little bit.
“The Steelers currently don’t have a short- or long-term solution under center, so this seems risky at best.”
Yes, the Steelers don’t have a short- or long-term solution at quarterback on the roster right now that seems entirely viable for the media to accept, considering Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are the only quarterbacks on the roster.
But team president and owner Art Rooney II stated Friday evening on Steeler Nation Radio that he believes they may get word from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers soon, and that if they add a quarterback in the draft they envision one that can sit and develop in 2025 without having to play.
Sanders doesn’t exactly sound like the QB3 material this season behind most likely Rodgers and Rudolph.
So, the Steelers stuck to their board and added a running back in Johnson who fits Smith’s scheme quite well and is coming off of a dominant 2024 season.
Johnson flourished in a zone scheme at Iowa. He’s another big, physical running back who fits well into the Steelers’ zone rushing attack under Smith. Johnson was outstanding in 2024, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on 240 carries. He also caught 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, showing he can do it all.
Even if the Steelers don’t have a quarterback right now that appeases Kiper, there is nothing risky about the Johnson pick. He was largely considered a second-round talent, with many placing him inside their top 50. The Steelers got him near the end of the third round and needed a true No. 1 running back after losing Najee Harris.
It’s a great fit between team and player and should pay dividends immediately.
