With Najee Harris leaving in free agency to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Kenneth Gainwell being signed to a one-year deal in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves with a significant need at the running back position alongside Jaylen Warren.
Currently, Warren, Gainwell, and veteran Cordarrelle Patterson are the only running backs on the roster for a team that aims to be a run-first offense. Fortunately for the Black and Gold, the running back class in the 2025 NFL Draft is quite good, with great talent throughout the class.
The Steelers have done quite a bit of work on the running back class in the pre-draft process. During the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the Steelers met with 11 running backs, eight of whom were reported as formal, one was unclear, and two others were informal.
Then, in the pre-draft process, with the 30 official visits allowed, the Steelers hosted nine running backs, most of whom were part of the 11 Combine meetings. So, knowing that, the picture is quite clear for the Steelers at the running back position.
The question now is: which running back of the nine pre-draft visits — TreVeyon Henderson, Omarion Hampton, DJ Giddens, Ollie Gordon II, Brayshul Tuten, Dylan Sampson, RJ Harvey, Kaleb Johnson, and Jaydon Blue — will wind up being drafted by the Steelers?
I’m glad you asked. Below, I’m going to take a shot at ranking the nine running backs from pre-draft visits from most to least likely to be drafted by the Black and Gold next week based on their skillset, play style, scheme fit, and realistic draft capital to land the player.
1) TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Throughout the pre-draft process, I’ve quietly felt like Henderson is a great fit for Pittsburgh due to his speed, pass-catching abilities, toughness, and work in pass protection. He’s the complete package, and having him come to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit checked almost every single box for Henderson and the Steelers.
There was a formal meeting at the Combine. Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith were at the Buckeyes’ Pro Day. Then, he had the pre-draft visit. All the boxes are checked there, and Henderson fits the style the Steelers are looking for as a more explosive running back.
He can take a touch to the house in the blink of an eye, and clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash with a tremendous 10’8″ broad jump in the process. He has a RAS of 9.45. He’s not just a speed back, though. He’s a great pass protector and has good hands out of the backfield. Henderson isn’t the biggest back either at 5101, 202 pounds, but he fits the mold for the Steelers.
The problem is that it’s a bit too rich to draft him at No. 21 overall, and without a second-round pick, it’s hard to see the Steelers landing him. So, if they’re going to do it, it would be in the first round. But it’s hard to overlook all of the boxes being checked with Henderson.
2) Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
When it comes to the Steelers and drafting running backs, they have a type. They want big, physical backs who can handle a heavy workload. They had that in recent years with Harris, but now with guys like Warren and Gainwell, they’re missing that just a bit.
Hampton provides that. He would immediately step in as the lead running back, bringing good size at 5116, 216 pounds. He clocked a 4.46 40-yard dash and posted a 9.70 Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Platte. During his time at UNC, Hampton led the ACC in carries and yards in both 2023 and 2024 while averaging 5.9 yards per carry each season. He also had 15 rushing touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
He also became a dangerous receiving threat for North Carolina in those two years, putting up 7.7 yards per catch in 2023 and 9.8 yards in 2024. He’s a do-it-all back, runs downhill, fits in a zone scheme, and can really be a bruising running back that the Steelers covet. Hampton also checked every box of the What The Steelers Look For study at running back from Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora, which is noteworthy.
Not having Tomlin or Khan at his Pro Day hurts the potential selection in Round 1, but they have the pre-draft visit box checked, and set some precedent last year selecting Troy Fautanu out of Washington without being at the Pro Day.
3) Brayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech
Tuten has been connected to the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process, and the fit seems pretty good on paper, at least.
He has the bloodlines the Steelers look for, too, especially within the Steelers, as he’s the cousin of former Steelers running back Isaac Redman. That’s a pretty good name to lean on there for more information if the Steelers need it, I’d say.
Tuten checks the box of the athletic, explosive player thanks to his 9.55 RAS, which was boosted significantly by an RB Combine-best 4.32 40-yard dash, 40.5-inch vertical, and second-best broad jump at 10’10”. He’s lightning fast and can take any touch to the house.
Size is a concern, though. But if the Steelers decide to pass on an RB in the first round and wait until Day 3, Tuten could be a good option later in the draft. He can do it all. Tuten rushed for 3,600 yards and 41 touchdowns on 601 carries in his career, and added 91 receptions for 892 yards and 9 touchdowns. He even returned 40 kicks for 951 yards and two scores.
4) DJ Giddens, Kansas State
This is the sneaky player that not many are talking about, who could really be a guy the Steelers land in the third or fourth round at the running back position that has many scrambling to try and learn more about.
The Steelers have done their due diligence on Giddens, who ran for 1,343 yards and seven touchdowns on 205 carries and added 21 receptions for 258 yards and one score last season for the Wildcats. He has really good size at 6002, 212 pounds, and has 4.43 speed.
Giddens also had an absurd 10’10” broad jump and showed throughout his college career the ability to be a lead back, bounce off tacklers, and hit the home run. He’ll be just 22 years old in August, too, and comes from a program that historically produces productive NFL players.
He’s that quiet, under-the-radar name that needs more buzz, and it would not shock me if he’s the selection at some point on Day 2 or Day 3 for the Steelers. He doesn’t have much to work with as a receiver, but with Warren and Gainwell in the backfield, Giddens could be that early-down workhorse to lean on for the Steelers as they reset at the position.
5) Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Yes, the Steelers let a big, bruising, plodding running back walk in Harris in free agency, so I understand the argument against Gordon. But I just can’t shake that feeling that he’s exactly the running back the Steelers need to cap off the trio of Warren and Gainwell.
With those two, the Steelers have their lightning in the backfield. They need to find their thunder, and Gordon can provide that.
He has great size at 6013, 226 pounds, but he doesn’t have great speed or explosion, recording a 4.61 40-yard dash and a 34-inch vertical. He brings durability and toughness and has shown he can handle a heavy workload. He’s an upright runner who consistently falls forward, too, and that fits what Arthur Smith tends to look for.
Last season at Oklahoma State, Gordon rushed for just 880 yards and 13 touchdowns on 190 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. That was a precipitous drop-off from the season before, but with his size and production throughout his career, Gordon is a name to watch at running back on Day 3, should the Steelers go cheaper at RB this time in the draft.
Gordon was also just one box away in the What The Steelers Look For study from Kozora at running back, missing in the bench press.
6) Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Dylan Sampson, one of the best running backs in the SEC last season, makes a great deal of sense for the Steelers, especially in the third round. He rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns on 258 carries for the Volunteers last season, leading the SEC. He measured in at 5081, 200 pounds at the Combine and recorded a 35-inch vertical, though he didn’t run.
In March, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reported that Sampson runs in the 4.4 40-yard dash range, with some scouts reportedly timing him as fast as 4.35 seconds at the Tennessee Pro Day. That would certainly check what the Steelers are looking for at the position moving forward.
If the Steelers pass on running back at No. 21, Sampson could be there at No. 83 overall, and would be a good fit for the Steelers in the third round, giving them a dependable workhorse running back with explosive tendencies to work with.
7) Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Kaleb Johnson, who flourished in a zone scheme at Iowa, is another big, physical running back who fits well into the Steelers’ zone rushing attack. 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.
Also, he turns 22 in August and has only had one year of a heavy workload, coming in 2024, so there is some concern there. But outside of that, he fits the mold for the Steelers.
At the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson measured in at 6010, 224 pounds and ran a 4.57 40-yard dash, solid numbers for his height and weight.
Historically, the Steelers have been like big, bruising running backs who can handle a heavy workload. Johnson fits that mold, as he’s in the 87th percentile for height, 79th percentile for weight, and in the 96th percentile for arm length at the position. If the Steelers had their second-round pick at No. 52, he would be an ideal candidate there.
It’s hard to see him falling to No. 83 overall as we sit here today, but if he does and the Steelers need a running back, he might be staying in the Black and Gold.
8) RJ Harvey, Central Florida
The Steelers’ focus at running back this offseason has been on getting faster and more explosive. Nobody was more explosive from a production standpoint in college than Harvey, so many have tried to connect the Steelers to the Central Florida star.
It makes all the sense in the world, too. He’s a well-built running back with a knack for turning touches into home runs. Harvey is a great fit for them due to his explosive play-making ability and his comfort and success in inside- and outside-zone run concepts.
Within the draft class, Harvey has the highest percentage of 10+ yard runs (21.1%) and 20+ yard runs (7.4%) of any running back. The Steelers are looking for that explosive element, and Harvey brings that.
Harvey measured in at 5080, 205 at the NFL Scouting Combine and clocked a 4.40 40-yard dash with a 10’7″ broad jump and a 38-inch vertical. During his time at UCF, Harvey was quite productive. Across 640 offensive touches, he generated 4,512 scrimmage yards, 47 touchdowns, and 6.5 yards per carry.
9) Jaydon Blue, Texas
The Steelers want to add more explosion offensively, especially in the running game. They want that guy who can take a short carry and turn it into a 60-yard touchdown. Texas’ Jaydon Blue could be that guy.
Blue clocked a 4.38 40-yard dash and a 10’3″ broad jump. He put up impressive testing numbers from that aspect, and he was productive in 2024 for the Longhorns, recording 134 carries for 730 yards and 8 rushing touchdowns, along with 42 receptions for 368 yards and 6 receiving scores.
But he doesn’t exactly match the size that the Steelers historically like. They’ve done the work on him, but it seems hard to fathom he’d be the guy the Steelers would draft to be the answer at running back, unless the idea were to have Warren as RB1 and have Blue and Gainwell be change-of-pace guys.
I guess that’s fathomable, but wouldn’t be ideal.
