Kaleb Johnson hasn’t had the start to his sophomore season that many Pittsburgh Steelers fans had hoped for. Instead, he has found himself as one of the biggest offseason losers, and his career feels like it is circling the drain.
An overhyped third-round pick just a year ago, the expectation was for Johnson to eventually supplement and even potentially take over Pittsburgh’s running back room. He was supposed to be the hard-nosed replacement for Najee Harris.
That hasn’t even been close to materializing.
Now, with just one preseason game left and a roster spot that is seemingly nonexistent for him, Johnson will likely have to continue his career elsewhere. Frankly, he should be taking notes from former Steelers third-round pick Kraig Urbik.
Kaleb Johnson will need to have a better post-Steelers career just like Kraig Urbik did
The Steelers took Urbik with one of their three third-round picks in the 2009 draft class. A big mauler from Wisconsin, he was seen as one of the best interior players in that draft class.
The immediate need wasn’t there, but the Steelers ideally wanted to groom Urbik to be an upgrade over Chris Kemoeatu and Trai Essex. Pittsburgh did eventually get that upgrade, but it didn’t come from their draft pick.
Ramon Foster made the team as an undrafted rookie from the same draft class. He made the transition from tackle to guard and beat out Urbik for the top backup spot as a rookie. While it would take him a few more years to earn a starting gig, he ultimately forced the team’s hand in cutting the former Wisconsin product ahead of his second season in the league.
He wasn’t homeless for long. The Bills claimed him off waivers, and he developed into an above-average starter for them. His career wasn’t amazing by any standards, but it certainly rebounded after his early release from the Steelers.
It doesn’t seem like there is a path for Johnson to make this team at this point. I’m sure the Steelers will field calls to trade him, but his value is minimal right now. If a deal doesn’t materialize, like Urbik, he will be waived.
I’m sure there will be a team that was interested in Johnson who will add him to their roster (or at least their practice squad). After that, it will be up to him to prove the Steelers wrong.
While Urbik ended up having a fine career, the Steelers certainly got the better player in Foster out of the whole ordeal. Time will tell if Johnson amounts to anything, but once he finds his new home, he needs to do everything he can to emulate Urbik’s post-Steelers success.
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