Rejoice, Steelers fans, because the start of the 2025 season is just days away.
Expectations are high in the Steel City with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and an upgraded supporting cast that includes star wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, tight end Jonnu Smith, and rookie running back Kaleb Johnson.
Speaking of Johnson, the rookie should play a large role for the team in 2025. Previous starting running back Najee Harris left in free agency, and the team is hoping to get more of a spark from the position in 2025.
Can Johnson provide that spark? Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News recently ranked the 25 best running backs in the NFL, and Johnson came in higher than you might think. Iyer has Johnson as the No. 19 running back in the league and offered the following analysis:
Johnson is a power back with great upside as the Steelers have been looking for someone with more burst than Najee Harris. Johnson has a good change of pace to help in Jaylen Warren.
As Iyer mentioned, Johnson is a power back with upside, and the Steelers were one of the best landing spots for the Iowa product. The Steelers have the carries to give out, and a solid offense line to block for the rookie.
Notably, Iyer has Johnson ranked higher than notable veterans like Aaron Jones and Tony Pollard and fellow rookie TreVeyon Henderson. Omarion Hampton and Ashton Jeanty are the only rookies ranked higher than Johnson. Both Jeanty and Hampton were first-round selections, so it makes sense those two would be higher initially.
It's understandable why someone would be high on Johnson though. The running back rushed for a Big 10-leading 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2024. Johnson also caught 22 passes and earned All-American honors for his performance. In total, Johnson racked up 2,779 rushing yards and 30 rushing scores during his time at Iowa.
Johnson ended up falling to the third round of the 2025 draft where the Steelers happily ended his slide. On the depth chart the team released ahead of Week 1, Johnson is listed as the RB3, but it seems inevitable that the rookie ends up getting the majority of running back snaps.
Jaylen Warren is listed as the starter, but he's never eclipsed 150 carries in a season. Meanwhile, former starter Najee Harris had at least 250 carries in each of his four seasons with the team. This means there should be plenty of carries for Johnson, and if he plays like he practiced this summer, he will be even higher in next year's running back rankings.