When the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed Najee Harris to leave in free agency, it was clear they’d need another workhorse for Arthur Smith’s offense. In the third round of this year’s draft, they found one in Kaleb Johnson. Through rookie minicamp, OTAs and now mandatory minicamp, Johnson has managed to impress a lot of people. One of those people happens to be Steelers insider Mark Kaboly.
“He looks like a star in the making, man. I mean, just the body size, and everything to that. I mean, let’s see… He’s totally different than Najee Harris. And I think he will make a good compliment to Jaylen Warren out of the gate, but I think eventually he’s gonna take over. I think he can do just about everything,” Kaboly said Monday while speaking on 93.7 The Fan.
Johnson’s earning a lot of praise this offseason, and it may be important to temper expectations a little. He’s a third-round pick and wasn’t one the first couple of running backs off the board this year. While it’s something he can improve, he doesn’t offer much as a pass-catcher or in pass protection. Because of that, the Steelers will rely on Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell on passing downs, at least to begin the year. Warren’s role as a runner will be prevalent, too. He’s more than familiar with the franchise and should get just as many, if not more carries as the season begins.
Kaboly expects Johnson to take over “eventually” and he’s probably right. Johnson is an excellent fit for the zone scheme Arthur Smith wants to run. With the way the offense looks this season, he could be in line for a big year.
Although Smith says they’re going to throw the ball often, the ground game has been a staple of his offense for years. Getting a lot of carries isn’t anything new for Johnson. For much of his time at Iowa, he was the main playmaker in the offense, running the ball 508 times in three years. If he gets off to a good start, Smith will likely give him more carries. That’s something Johnson seems ready for. The lack of pass-catching options on the roster, plus Aaron Rodgers’ age could play into that as well.
We’ll have to see what the future holds for Kaleb Johnson. For now, there’s a ton of excitement, and for good reason. If he can have the career many expect him to have, he’ll be well worth the third-round pick the Steelers used on him back in April.