Despite having just two selections in the top 120 picks of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers still managed to add talent and plug roster holes with their seven-man rookie class. Former Steelers linebacker and current analyst Arthur Moats praised the job the front office did during last month’s draft, highlighting several rookies who could make an immediate impact.
“Kaleb Johnson,” Moats pointed to when asked about the rookie class on KDKA’s schedule reaction show. “I’m a big Najee Harris fan so him obviously leaving, I feel like there’s a big hole that has to be filled. And he’s one of those guys who understands how to tote that rock. And he’s a big-bodied back, and I think he’s going to help us out a lot.”
Pittsburgh will look to replace Harris, who proved to be consistent and dependable. He rushed for 1,000 yards in all four seasons and never missed a game, a rare feat for a running back with his physical playing style. Johnson broke out for Iowa in 2024, leading the Big Ten in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and brings a similarly built frame at 6-1 and roughly 230 pounds. But he carries that weight well and offers more explosiveness than Harris, something the Steelers’ running game has lacked for years.
Moats was just a big a fan of the Steelers’ next selection too.
“I also love the Jack Sawyer pickup as well,” he told show co-host Bob Pompeani. “You can never have enough pass rush. You can never have enough mean guys on the edge. And that is definitely how Jack Sawyer plays the game. We saw that in the College Football Playoff where he really made a lot of plays down the stretch for that Ohio State Buckeyes defense.”
Playing his best football late in the season, Sawyer recorded 4.5 sacks during Ohio State’s playoff run. None were bigger than his fourth quarter strip-sack-fumble he returned for a touchdown to beat Texas.
Sawyer bolsters the Steelers’ outside linebacker depth chart, the No. 4 rusher behind T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. On paper, it might seem like a luxury. But Pittsburgh must be strong top-to-bottom at the position to protect against injury. It’s become an area of focus for Omar Khan and one he’s wisely invested in with the selections of Herbig and Sawyer.
While Sawyer lacks the upside of others, he profiles as a future No. 3 rotational rusher who stops the run and plays to his strengths as a pass rusher.
Couple those picks with first-round DL Derrick Harmon and any other rookies who emerge, DL Yahya Black, QB Will Howard, or seventh-rounders ILB Carson Bruener and CB Donte Kent, and Pittsburgh figures to get contributions from the group right away. For a roster replacing over 8,100 snaps, the new group will have plenty of opportunities.
