The Pittsburgh Steelers had a lot of turnover in their running back room this offseason, with Najee Harris leaving in free agency and the team signing Kenneth Gainwell and then drafting Kaleb Johnson to join the returning Jaylen Warren. Those three are expected to lead Pittsburgh’s backfield, and speaking with reporters today, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said the team is excited about the talent and skill set of the running back room.
“A lot of weapons back there, they all got different skill sets. Explosive players in a little different way. Kaleb, different style of player than Jaylen. We added Gainwell, depth in that room. So it’ll work itself out. We got a lot of weapons back there. We’re really excited about that room,” Smith said.
While the Steelers added Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf, improving the run game will be critical for their success. A strong run game is one of the hallmarks of a Smith-led offense, and after he pivoted from his preferred zone scheme last year, the Steelers should go back to that. It’s an area where Johnson has plenty of experience from his time at Iowa, but as Smith said, the Steelers can find a way to deploy all three backs due to their differing skill sets.
Johnson has a little bit more power to his game and is willing to run through defenders. Warren is too, but Johnson has a size advantage, although Warren and Gainwell are both better as receivers and pass blockers. Warren should get the first crack to start, although Smith wouldn’t commit to anyone leading the backfield yet, and he’s been a productive runner in Pittsburgh working behind and in tandem with Harris.
Warren has 4.8 yards per carry for his career, although his average dipped after putting up just 4.3 yards per carry last season when Warren was impacted by injuries. But having two other capable backs in Johnson, who could see early-down work, and Gainwell should help reduce some of the workload for Warren if he is the team’s No. 1 to start the year.
As a whole, the NFL has seemed to pivot away from the idea of a bell-cow back in recent years, and the Steelers have plenty of options and different players they can utilize in their backfield for different situations. Johnson has reportedly looked good during offseason workouts, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he plays a lot, even early in the season. His skill set meshes with what Smith wants to do, but he might not yet be ready to really handle third-down work.
The talent is there for this running back group to help the Steelers’ ground game improve, and if the run game can get working, it’ll open things up for Aaron Rodgers and Co. and the Steelers may finally be able to have their offensive breakthrough.
