I've got to be honest: once you follow and break down draft hauls for long enough, they really do start to blend together. Combining that with the fact that this year wasn’t supposed to be particularly iconic for the Pittsburgh Steelers anyway, my not having any extremes to take away from it should not come as a shock.
Despite that, I still wanted to take a moment and highlight a name from the 2025 bunch that gives me a level of hope I didn’t expect to feel (and with pieces like these essentially being an annual tradition by now, why shouldn’t I?). So, without another moment wasted, that name is Iowa's Kaleb Johnson.
I had said we needed a physical running back to replace Najee Harris, and after my choice for the honor—UCF’s RJ Harvey—got scooped up by Denver, my sails lost significant wind. However, regarding what had me looking Harvey’s way?
Johnson is no worse of an option.
Kaleb Johnson checks all the boxes the Pittsburgh Steelers need at running back
Think about it: the two main things I harped on when voicing my love for Harvey were his promise as a target in the passing game and the caliber of his competition. Well, Johnson checks both of those boxes splendidly.
On top of his 1,500 rushing yards, Johnson had 188 yards through the air in 2024, and on just 22 catches. That means he averaged 8.5 yards per catch, and with me being a lifelong fan of the short passing game, it also means he’s speaking my language.
As for his competition, do I even need to say anything? He played in the Big Ten for the Iowa Hawkeyes, for crying out loud. There aren’t many paths to the league that are more appealing than that when you’re on the prowl for bruisers that can maneuver around heavy lineplay.
Now don’t get it twisted—I’m not trying to paint Johnson as some gigantic underdog story. I mean, heck, he was a great-enough athlete not only to get noticed but drafted by a respectable franchise, so anyone could tell you that he has what it takes to help lift this team higher.
However, for a name that got little hype at a position of middle-round priority? You must admit that he looks like a pleasant surprise waiting to happen.