The Pittsburgh Steelers were content with letting former first-round running back Najee Harris walk away during the 2025 free agency period. Heading into April's NFL Draft, this team had only Jaylen Warren and newcomer Kenneth Gainwell to turn to. We knew that drafting a running back in an elite RB class was high on their agenda. Unfortunately, they might have taken the wrong one.
With the 83rd overall pick in the third round, the Steelers punched their card for Iowa's Kaleb Johnson. This looked like a steal at the time. Johnson was the 52nd overall player on Marcus Mosher's NFL Draft Expert Consensus Board and was coming off a phenomenal junior season.
But just a third of the way through the 2025 season, it looks like the Steelers chose the wrong guy.
Cam Skattebo was one of the most overlooked running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft. With the 105th overall pick in the fourth round, the New York Giants eventually pulled the trigger on the brusing runner... and that already looks like one of their best decisions in recent memory.
In just six games (three starts), the rookie phenom has managed to collect 338 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 82 attempts. In the passing game, Skattebo has been equally as impressive—turning 24 targets into 20 receptions for 155 yards.
Skattebo is only a rookie, but he's managed 4.8 yards per touch with a 53.6 percent success rate while breaking 10 total tackles in his first six games. He's also been a nightmare for defenses near the goal line, as the 5'9 1/2'', 219-pound running back doubles as a battering ram to plow his way into the endzone.
The Steelers haven't had the same results with their rookie running back.
In five games, Johnson has recorded a mere 36 rushing yards on 14 attempts. His 28.6 percent success rate is as bad as it gets, as he's been completely ineffective on most carries. Johnson also has a concerning fumble and a critical special teams error in addition to dropping his lone target in the passing game.
Johnson's costly mistake against the Seattle Seahawks led to him landing in Mike Tomlin's dog house, and he's seen limited action as a rookie. Now Steelers fans already have regrets.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should have drafted Cam Skattebo over Kaleb Johnson
It's easy to say this in hindsight, but every fan would now agree that the Pittsburgh Steelers made a mistake taking Kaleb Johnson over Cam Skattebo in the 2025 draft. Johnson originally seemed like the perfect fit as a true wide zone runner in Arthur Smith's offense, but his scheme fit has not been enough to overcome his deficiencies.
Meanwhile, Skattebo has been everything as advertised and more. The Arizona State product was an electrifying player as a senior in 2024—leading the Big 12 in rushing yards (1,711) while punching in 21 rushing touchdowns. He's picked up right where he left off.
READ MORE: Mike Tomlin's non-Steelers rookie RB praise fuels Kaleb Johnson draft regret
Skattebo's ferocious play style, combined with snap-to-snap efficiency, is what Steelers fans hoped they were getting with Najee Harris after the 2021 draft. And maybe it was Skattebo's similarities to Harris—a bruising runner without elite top-end speed—that made them steer clear during the draft.
What's most frustrating is the stark difference between the two runners. Johnson has often gone down on first contact, while Skattebo has been the best in the league at shedding tackles. The Giants' rookie is already looking like one of the best backs in the business, while Johnson looks like a replacement-level player so far.
There's more than enough time for Kaleb Johnson to turn things around and live up to his billing as a third-round pick. But after seeing Cam Skattebo take the NFL by storm as a rookie in his first six games, it's hard for Pittsburgh Steelers fans not to feel some sense of regret over the team's decision in April.