The Pittsburgh Steelers had very limited resources in the 2025 NFL Draft due to the D.K. Metcalf trade earlier this offseason. Pittsburgh desperately needed a No. 1 receiver, and the opportunity to add a player like Metcalf was too good to pass up. However, that limited their number of selections, giving them just two picks inside the top 120.
The Steelers did well in Round 1, selecting Derrick Harmon from Oregon at No. 21. Harmon finished at No. 27 on The Athletic’s consensus board and No. 24 on the NFL Draft Expert board. Pittsburgh had a major need on the defensive line, and while it’s technically a slight reach by the consensus boards, it’s a perfect fit for both the player and the team.
The Harmon selection was a good pick in Round 1, but picking Kaleb Johnson in Round 3 was a steal, according to most draft experts. The same consensus boards loved Johnson, as The Athletic ranked Johnson as the No. 48 overall player in the class. The NFL Draft Expert board, made up of the rankings by respected analysts including Daniel Jeremiah, Mel Kiper Jr., Dane Brugler, etc., had Johnson as their No. 52 overall player.
One draft analyst loved that pick more than most, as Matt Miller of ESPN named the selection of Johnson as one of the biggest steals in the entire class. Here is a snippet of why Miller believes the Steelers stole Johnson at pick No. 83:
"One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about the Steelers is powerful, physical backs who run downhill," Miller wrote on ESPN. "Johnson punished defenses at Iowa (and also excelled on outside zone carries). And Pittsburgh got him 39 spots lower than where I ranked him."
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a perfect scheme fit RB in Kaleb Johnson
There were a few reasons why Johnson slipped in the NFL Draft, primarily because he is a wide-zone runner. Iowa didn’t ask him to create much by himself. Instead, they asked him to read his keys and run the wide-zone concepts. But luckily for Johnson, he landed with a heavy wide-zone team as Arthur Smith’s run game is all based around outside zone runs.
Johnson’s performance at the NFL Combine was a bit disappointing compared to the rest of the class. But recent studies have shown that as long as a running back runs a sub-4.60 40-yard dash (Johnson ran a 4.57), there shouldn’t be any concerns in the NFL about potential production.
There is no doubt that Johnson has the talent and ability that is usually worthy of a top-60 selection, but because of some scheme dependency, he fell all the way to the bottom of Round 3. The Steelers have to be thrilled with that outcome, as he is exactly what they needed in their backfield.
Look for Jaylen Warren to be the “starter” to open the year, but for Johnson to see a heavy workload as the weather starts to turn. Johnson has a chance to be one of the most productive running backs in this class, and his fit with the Steelers couldn’t be any more perfect.