The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense underwent several major changes this offseason. They lost their leading passer, rusher, and receiver from last season. However, they tried to upgrade at all of those spots. Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf have taken Russell Wilson and George Pickens’ spots. The Steelers’ starting running back position is still a question mark, though. While Jaylen Warren gets first crack at assuming that role, CBS Sports analyst Tyler Sullivan thinks rookie Kaleb Johnson could be have an instant impact.
“Najee Harris is now gone, he’s a Los Angeles Charger,” Sullivan said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “‘Now it’s Jaylen Warren’s time. He’s the one that’s gonna step up as the veteran in that backfield.’ Hold on a second. I think Kaleb Johnson, the third-round pick out of Iowa, is someone that you really have to pay attention to.
“For me, he fits what Arthur Smith wants to do in that running game with the outside zone. Ran that a lot at Iowa. He is someone who I think could earn some early-down work.”
Although he was a third-round pick, Johnson could have a significant role in the Steelers’ offense this season. Reports have indicated that the Steelers don’t see Warren as their feature running back. They want Johnson to take up that mantle for the forseeable future.
Sullivan is correct that Johnson looks like a great scheme fit for Smith’s offense. In college, he was successful in an outside zone scheme. Also, Smith has found success with big, bruising running backs in the past, such as Harris and Derrick Henry.
Johnson has garnered some comparisons to Henry. While that doesn’t mean that he’s going to reach that level of dominance, there are some similarities in their style. Both are bigger running backs, but they have deceptive long speed. When Johnson gets free into the open field, his burst shines. That’s something the Steelers lacked with Harris.
There are some aspects of Johnson’s game that need refining, though. For instance, he needs to work on getting better in pass protection. However, Johnson knows that’s one of his weaknesses. He’s specifically targeting that in training camp, trying his hardest to get better at it.
At the moment, it’s unclear how heavily Johnson will be featured in the Steelers’ offense. However, training camp and the preseason should help answer that question. If Johnson has a strong showing, he could find himself getting the majority of the carries in the Steelers’ backfield sooner rather than later.
