Player: RB Kaleb Johnson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: Although he didn’t play as much in the preseason finale, Kaleb Johnson continued his upward trajectory. On five carries, he recorded three successful runs. In addition to his work on offense, he also returned kicks throughout the game, which he may do in September.
Kaleb Johnson’s struggles in the Steelers’ first preseason game raised alarm bells but were predictably premature. While his subsequent performances hardly proved revelatory, he clearly looked more comfortable. And the more comfortable he looks, the better he’ll be. And the more work he gets, the more comfortable he’ll get.
That’s the theme with the rookie running back, who figures to open the season behind Jaylen Warren. Warren, for his part, did not look very good in his lone preseason game. The fumble was the glaring red flag, and some wonder if it won’t be an inopportune turnover sometime during the season that provides the coaches with the impetus to turn to Johnson.
A third-round pick out of Iowa, Kaleb Johnson is a natural scheme fit for the Steelers’ offense. However, he is still a rookie and learning his way in the NFL. He tends to trust his speed too much, trying to bounce too many runs to the perimeter. That will work better in the preseason, frankly, than it will in the regular season.
Kaleb Johnson rushed for 24 yards on five carries in his final preseason work. He also had one reception, albeit for just two yards. He finished the preseason with 94 rushing yards on 24 carries, just shy of four yards per. Although he didn’t find the end zone, he did see some red-zone and goal-to-go work. Based on what he did at Iowa, I don’t think he’ll have an undue amount of trouble in that area.
With training camp wrapped up and the Steelers crystallizing their new roster, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
As we speak, we are in the process of learning what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re in the home stretch. What final moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
