During the 2025 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers added three former Iowa Hawkeyes to their roster: RB Kaleb Johnson in the third round at 83rd overall, DL Yahya Black in the fifth round at 164th overall, and S Sebastian Castro as an undrafted free agent. The addition of three Iowa players from a single draft class marks a rarity for Pittsburgh as it had only selected three Hawkeyes since 1992 before that with DL Logan Lee coming last year in the sixth round, LB Mike Humpal in 2008, and RB Mike Saunders in 1992.
Is it a coincidence that the Steelers added three Iowa players during the 2025 NFL Draft? Yes and no. As we have learned over the years, the draft can be unpredictable and the way draft classes come together often are determined by a host of variables.
However, it is no coincidence that Pittsburgh was drawn to the Iowa program during the pre-draft process. The two programs share a similar culture of physical, smashmouth football that Pittsburgh went into this draft looking to address. HC Mike Tomlin mentioned in the post-pick presser that Oregon DL Derrick Harmon has “Steelers DNA,” but when you look at the three Hawkeyes who join former teammate Logan Lee on the roster, the argument can be made that they bring the same demeanor Pittsburgh wants in its locker room.
RB Kaleb Johnson was Pittsburgh’s second selection during the draft and couldn’t have been a better fit for what the team was looking for at the position, according to OC Arthur Smith. The 6010, 224-pound Johnson is a big, physical runner with impressive burst for his size when he gets into the open field.
He doesn’t like going down on first contact, attempting to run through tacklers while also having a strong stiff arm to keep defenders off his frame. His contact balance stands out as well. Johnson can stay upright on tacklers who attempt to take out his legs, having a nose for the end zone as a battering ram-style back Pittsburgh loves.
Black looks like he was built in a lab, standing out immediately during the Senior Bowl practices due to his sheer size, standing 6056, 336 pounds with the 35-inch arms to boot. He is a stout run defender, having Tomlin compare him to a F-350 truck as a big, physical presence up front.
Black has the ability to two-gap and eat up space and blockers up front. He also shows some quickness to penetrate into the backfield, having made 12 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Adding both Black and Harmon up front gives the Steelers two big, physical bodies who should help them shore up a run defense that got gashed at times last season, bringing back that identity as a team that is tough to run on up the middle.
Castro may have gone undrafted due to some athletic limitations when it comes to long speed, but the 5112, 203-pound safety brings a wealth of experience and instincts to the team as well as a physical demeanor that is hard to ignore from a defensive back. Castro processes plays quickly and triggers downhill in a hurry to tackle at the catch or rally to the runner in pursuit, coming in to hit ball carriers violently rather than just go for the ankle tackle.
Castro is also physical in coverage, getting into the catch radius of receivers to disrupt the pass as well as will go after the ball in the air for the pass deflection/interception. He plays the game like a throwback and can be a great depth piece if he makes the roster to help replace S Damontae Kazee as a physical strong safety/nickel defender near the box.
Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Iowa Hawkeyes have been known for having stout defenses as well as running the football over the years, their play styles closely matching their uniforms. Being an Iowa fan throughout my childhood, it became easy to root for both teams as they shared the same colors as well as the same physical demeanor for the game.
For a team attempting to get back to its roots as physical and smashmouth on both sides of the football, bringing in three Hawkeyes is a good place to start as Johnson, Black, and Castro all have an opportunity to bring the toughness back to the Steel City in their respective rookie seasons.
