Kaleb

Johnson

Johnson, a third-round draft pick who last month was listed as a co-starter alongside Jaylen Warren on the Pittsburgh depth chart, was a hyper-productive back in Iowa’s zone-based rushing scheme, a system used frequently in Arthur Smith’s run-first offense. Only three college running backs in 2024 logged more zone rushes than Johnson. Johnson’s goals in offseason practices, according to DeFabo, “are to learn the playbook and earn the coaching staff’s trust with the hope of becoming an ‘every-down back’ sooner rather than later.” That might require Johnson to improve his pass blocking. The rookie said he’s worked on that with Warren — one of the best blocking backs in the NFL — in recent days.

Johnson averaged 7.0 yards per rushing attempt on outside zone runs last season, making him a perfect fit for an offense run by OC Arthur Smith. Smith’s 2024 unit tied for the fifth-most outside zone plays (176) in 2024. Johnson is already listed as the team’s co-starter, which should give him access to a fantasy-friendly workload right off the bat.

Johnson, described by DeFabo as a “physical back built to carry the load,” was taken with the 83rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s widely expected to replace Najee Harris — now with the Chargers — in the Pittsburgh backfield in 2025. Johnson dominated the Iowa backfield in 2024, totaling 240 carries for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. He made progress as a pass catcher, reeling in 22 balls for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the run-heavy Iowa offense. Only three running backs in the nation logged more rushes of over ten yards than Johnson in 2024. His presence, along with Kenneth Gainwell, leaves little upside for Warren barring backfield injuries for the Steelers.

Johnson (6’1/224) immediately made a name for himself at Iowa with 779 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 151 attempts, leading the Hawkeyes in all rushing categories and setting a school record for rushing yards by a freshman in 2022. Johnson labored through an ankle issue in his sophomore season, missed three games, and failed to lead his team in carries, tanking his rushing output. In a return to form and then some, Johnson dominated the backfield in 2024 to the tune of 240 carries for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also made progress as a pass catcher, reeling in 22 balls for 188 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Johnson is a boom-bust runner, topping 15 yards on 28 carries — the third-most in the country — with a poor success rate of just 42 percent. Given his ability to break long runs, a 4.57 Forty at the combine was slightly underwhelming, even though it’s a good time for a player of his size. Johnson has a track record of handling a heavy workload and is a threat to take any carry to the house. His style is similar to former Big 10 runner Kenneth Walker, though Johnson executes it with a much larger build. In some ways, Johnson is a Najee Harris 2.0 pick for the Steelers, though he actually busted long runs. Of course, even Harris did in college. Johnson would be a slightly underwhelming committee partner for Jaylen Warren, but he will get a real chance to be just that.

In a draft that’s ripe with running backs across all three days of the draft, the Steelers should have plenty of high-end options to pair with incumbent Jaylen Warren. The Steelers met with Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson but could hear his name called in the second round on Friday, while Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson could also be on the radar to fill the vacancy left by Najee Harris in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense. Warren signed his restricted free agent tender earlier this month and has a chance to see more work in what will be his fourth season in the league. That said, the former UDFA has averaged 9.9 touches per game for his career, and may not be viewed as a one-for-one replacement for Harris, who averaged 17.6 touches/gm over that same span. The Steelers don’t currently hold a second-round pick, so anybody in that range would require a trade-up to get. Otherwise, they could be waiting until they’re on the clock with the No. 83 pick to send in the card on a potential back.

The Bears continue to plan visits with incoming rookie running backs, suggesting newly-minted head coach Ben Johnson hopes to find a running mate for D’Andre Swift next season if not an outright replacement. Johnson is yet another highly-touted member of this year’s running back class and rushed for 240-1,537-21 in his final year at Iowa while adding another 22-188-2 through the air. He hasn’t garnered much first-round talk, but he looks like a safe bet to hear his name called on Day 2 of the draft.

Johnson showcased adequate speed (4.57-second 40-yard dash) for a big-bodied back at the NFL Scouting Combine. In his final season at Iowa last year, he rushed 240 times for 1,535 yards and 21 touchdowns while never once fumbling and forcing 66 missed tackles. Although he is less accomplished as a receiver, Johnson notably caught 22-of-25 targets for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He would provide the Bengals with a burly complement to incumbent starter Chase Brown, who is a svelte 209 pounds.

The Giants currently have Tyrone Tracy in line to start in 2025 after he took the job from Devin Singletary as a rookie. Neither back was particularly efficient, but Tracy showed some big-play potential that Singletary couldn’t match. Tracy did, however, struggle with fumbles, putting the ball on the ground five times. At 6'1/224, Johnson is a powerful runner who racked up 1,537 rushing yards in his final season at Iowa. A back capable of handling a large role between the tackles would be a problem for Tracy’s fantasy outlook.