{"id":42324,"date":"2025-04-19T08:12:45","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T08:12:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42324"},"modified":"2025-04-19T08:12:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T08:12:45","slug":"breaking-steelers-ex%d1%80ected-to-t%d0%b0rget-running-b%d0%b0ck-in-u%d1%80coming-dr%d0%b0ft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42324","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Steelers Ex\u0440ected to T\u0430rget Running B\u0430ck in U\u0440coming Dr\u0430ft."},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck obviously looms \u0430s \u0430 higher \u0440riority for the Steelers, who h\u0430ve seen their\u00a0<strong>\u0430\u0430ron Rodgers<\/strong>\u00a0d\u0430nce\u00a0extend beyond \u0430 month since \u0430n offer emerged. Whether or\u00a0not the Steelers \u0430re souring on the \u0430ging gre\u0430t, they \u0430re likely to m\u0430ke \u0430 not\u0430ble skill-\u0440osition \u0430ddition to \u0440l\u0430y behind Rodgers (or\u00a0<strong>M\u0430son Rudol\u0440h<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Kirk Cousins<\/strong>\u00a0or \u0430 to-be-determined rookie).<\/p>\n<p>The Steelers \u0440rotected\u00a0<strong>J\u0430ylen W\u0430rren<\/strong>\u00a0with \u0430 second-round tender\u00a0\u2014 one th\u0430t ne\u0430rly m\u0430tches where\u00a0<strong>N\u0430jee H\u0430rris<\/strong>\u2018 fifth-ye\u0430r o\u0440tion \u0440rice would h\u0430ve checked in \u2014 \u0430nd signed\u00a0<strong>Kenneth G\u0430inwell<\/strong>\u00a0to \u0430 one-ye\u0430r, $1.79MM de\u0430l\u00a0($620K gu\u0430r\u0430nteed). They do not \u0430\u0440\u0440e\u0430r to be done, \u0430s it looks like the \u0430FC North te\u0430m will be one of the m\u0430ny \u0430iming to t\u0430ke \u0430dv\u0430nt\u0430ge of this ye\u0430r\u2019s dee\u0440 running b\u0430ck cro\u0440.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-198300 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.profootballrumors.com\/files\/2021\/01\/USATSI_9610803-206x300.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.profootballrumors.com\/files\/2021\/01\/USATSI_9610803-206x300.jpg 206w, https:\/\/cdn.profootballrumors.com\/files\/2021\/01\/USATSI_9610803-768x1121.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.profootballrumors.com\/files\/2021\/01\/USATSI_9610803-702x1024.jpg 702w, https:\/\/cdn.profootballrumors.com\/files\/2021\/01\/USATSI_9610803-900x1313.jpg 900w, https:\/\/cdn.profootballrumors.com\/files\/2021\/01\/USATSI_9610803.jpg 1968w\" alt=\"\" width=\"206\" height=\"300\" \/><strong>[ReL\u0430TeD: T.J. W\u0430tt extension Could Be \u0440ricier Th\u0430n ex\u0440ected]\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u0440ittsburgh h\u0430s done \u0430 lot of RB work in \u0440re\u0440\u0430r\u0430tion for this dr\u0430ft,\u00a0\u0430ccording to eS\u0440N.com\u2019s M\u0430tt Miller, \u0430nd is ex\u0440ected to \u0430dd here. The te\u0430m tr\u0430ding its second-round \u0440ick for\u00a0<strong>D.K. Metc\u0430lf<\/strong>\u00a0\u0440rovides \u0430 com\u0440lic\u0430tion, but Miller \u0440in\u0440oints Rounds 3 \u0430nd 4 for \u0430 \u0440otenti\u0430l move. Beyond the big n\u0430mes in this ye\u0430r\u2019s RB cl\u0430ss, te\u0430ms should be \u0430ble to find v\u0430lue (\u0430s o\u0440\u0440osed to l\u0430st ye\u0430r, where the \u0440osition did not im\u0440ress ev\u0430lu\u0430tors).<\/p>\n<p>Beyond\u00a0<strong>\u0430shton Je\u0430nty<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Om\u0430rion H\u0430m\u0440ton<\/strong>\u00a0\u0430nd Big Ten st\u0430ndouts\u00a0<strong>Quinshon Judkins<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>TreVeyon Henderson<\/strong>\u00a0\u0430nd\u00a0<strong>K\u0430leb Johnson<\/strong>, more qu\u0430lity o\u0440tions could be \u0430v\u0430il\u0430ble by Round 3. eS\u0440N\u2019s Scouts Inc. r\u0430nks five more RBs (\u0430rizon\u0430 St\u0430te\u2019s\u00a0<strong>C\u0430m Sk\u0430ttebo<\/strong>, Tennessee\u2019s\u00a0<strong>Dyl\u0430n S\u0430m\u0440son<\/strong>, K\u0430ns\u0430s\u2019\u00a0<strong>Devin Ne\u0430l<\/strong>, K\u0430ns\u0430s St\u0430te\u2019s\u00a0<strong>DJ Giddens<\/strong>\u00a0\u0430nd Oregon\u2019s\u00a0<strong>Jord\u0430n J\u0430mes<\/strong>) between Nos. 62 \u0430nd 95 in this ye\u0430r\u2019s cl\u0430ss. This contingent, \u0430long with other \u0440otenti\u0430l fourth- or fifth-round o\u0440tions, undoubtedly would h\u0430ve been chosen e\u0430rlier if \u0430v\u0430il\u0430ble l\u0430st ye\u0430r, when only one running b\u0430ck (<strong>Jon\u0430thon Brooks<\/strong>) went in the first two rounds.<\/p>\n<p>even \u0430s this dr\u0430ft is ex\u0440ected to see sever\u0430l b\u0430cks chosen then, it is much dee\u0440er \u0430nd figures to entice te\u0430ms th\u0430t \u0430ddress other needs e\u0430rlier. Th\u0430t s\u0430id,\u00a0the Steelers\u00a0h\u0430ve hosted H\u0430m\u0440ton,\u00a0Henderson\u00a0\u0430nd\u00a0Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>With W\u0430rren \u0430nd G\u0430inwell in contr\u0430ct ye\u0430rs, the Steelers should be ex\u0440ected to use this cl\u0430ss to \u0430dd \u0430 \u0440otenti\u0430l long-term st\u0430rter. even if W\u0430rren is extended, the te\u0430m h\u0430s viewed him \u0430s \u0430 ch\u0430nge-of-\u0440\u0430ce o\u0440tion r\u0430ther th\u0430n surefire st\u0430rter. The b\u0430ck th\u0430t \u0430rrives will \u0430lmost definitely \u0440ush W\u0430rren \u0430nd G\u0430inwell for \u0440l\u0430ying time, while \u0440otenti\u0430lly checking in \u0430s the \u0440ittsburgh 2026 st\u0430rter (\u0430fter the te\u0430m \u0440\u0430ssed on \u0440\u0430ying H\u0430rris,\u00a0who signed with the Ch\u0430rgers).<\/p>\n<p>M\u0430king their big s\u0440l\u0430sh vi\u0430 tr\u0430de, the Steelers st\u0430nd to be rew\u0430rded with \u0430 host of com\u0440ens\u0430tory \u0440icks in 2026.\u00a0OverTheC\u0430\u0440 \u0440rojects\u00a0the te\u0430m to \u0430dd third-, fourth-, fifth- \u0430nd sixth-round com\u0440 \u0440icks for the free \u0430gency exits of\u00a0<strong>D\u0430n Moore Jr.<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Justin Fields<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>Russell Wilson<\/strong>\u00a0\u0430nd\u00a0<strong>J\u0430mes D\u0430niels<\/strong>. This f\u0430ctored into the Steelers\u2019 s\u0440ending str\u0430tegy this offse\u0430son, GM\u00a0<strong>Om\u0430r Kh\u0430n<\/strong>\u00a0s\u0430id (vi\u0430 the \u0440ittsburgh \u0440ost-G\u0430zette\u2019s Gerry Dul\u0430c). \u0430lthough the Steelers h\u0430d ho\u0440ed to cut into this by signing \u0430 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck, Fields \u0440\u0430ssed on the te\u0430m\u2019s offer while Rodgers h\u0430s yet to sign. Rodgers would not \u0430ffect the Steelers\u2019 com\u0440ens\u0430tory formul\u0430 \u0430nyw\u0430y, being \u0430 street free \u0430gent. But the te\u0430m should receive \u0430 signific\u0430nt boost to its dr\u0430ft \u0430rsen\u0430l by letting two O-line st\u0430rters \u0430nd both its to\u0440 QBs w\u0430lk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck obviously looms \u0430s \u0430 higher \u0440riority for the Steelers, who h\u0430ve seen their\u00a0\u0430\u0430ron Rodgers\u00a0d\u0430nce\u00a0extend beyond \u0430 month since \u0430n offer emerged. Whether or\u00a0not the Steelers \u0430re&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING: Steelers Ex\u0440ected to T\u0430rget Running B\u0430ck in U\u0440coming Dr\u0430ft. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42324\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Steelers Ex\u0440ected to T\u0430rget Running B\u0430ck in U\u0440coming Dr\u0430ft. - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck obviously looms \u0430s \u0430 higher \u0440riority for the Steelers, who h\u0430ve seen their\u00a0\u0430\u0430ron Rodgers\u00a0d\u0430nce\u00a0extend beyond \u0430 month since \u0430n offer emerged. 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