It’s a special night for Kaleb Johnson. Though his wait was a touch longer than expected, he’s headed to the NFL. And he doesn’t even have to change uniform colors. The Pittsburgh Steelers made Johnson the 83rd selection of the 2025 NFL Draft, vaulting him into a prominent role in their backfield.
Hosting a draft party with friends and family, cameras captured Johnson getting the call from the Steelers.
After getting off the phone, an emotional Johnson let the room know where he was headed.
“Steelers,” he said as the room erupted.
On the other end of the phone was Mike Tomlin.
“We’re excited to have you,” he told Johnson. “Get ready to work. You know we got a lot of work waiting on you. We’re excited about being a part of your continued growth and development as a player and as a young man. Come ready for all of that, alright?”
High-fives from the Steelers’ scouts and coaches could be heard in the background, highlighting the team’s excitement with the selection.
Though any prospect can’t guarantee where he’ll land, it’s hardly a surprise Pittsburgh selected Johnson. He was one of nine running backs brought in a for pre-draft visit and he was easily the highest-rated runner left on the board when the Steelers picked in the third round.
Only a handful of runners were selected on Day 2 of the draft. Ohio State’s pair of standout runners in TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins went early in the evening while UCF’s RJ Harvey was taken late in the second round, joining Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.
Now, Johnson is off the board. A strong fit for the Steelers’ offense, Johnson carried Iowa’s ground game in 2024. Breaking out, he led the Big Ten in rushing yards and touchdowns and earned All-American honors after posting a 1,400-yard, 23 total touchdown season.
Johnson figures to form a backfield committee with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, likely seeing most of his work on early downs and helping replace Najee Harris in that area. Johnson will hit the field when the Steelers’ rookie minicamp takes place two weekends from now.
