Early 53-man roster predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers after the NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
Running backs (3):
Steelers roster prediction: Najee Harris, Jalen Warren, Master Teague
It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers are building their roster to fit a ground-and-pound style of offense in 2023. I would expect Najee Harris to run the ball and run it often. The additions of players like Broderick Jones, Darnell Washington, and Isaac Seumalo this offseason are proof of this.
The Steelers didn't show any interest in running backs during the pre-draft process, but I don't think this would have been a bad year to grab one on Day 3. Benny Snell's old jersey number was already handed to Joey Porter Jr., so it doesn't look like the team has any intention of bringing back their special teams ace.
This leaves an open spot on the roster. Najee will be the workhorse back in 2023, but for as much as Pittsburgh plans to run the football, Jalen Warren will carve out a fairly significant role as well. He had a very promising rookie season after going undrafted in 2022.
The last spot is hard to pinpoint. It doesn't bode well for a former fourth-round pick like Anthony McFarland to lose a roster spot last year to Snell. For the RB3 job, the Steelers are going to need someone who can play special teams. There will be an open competition in camp for this role, but for now, I'll say that Master Teague ends up with a job.