In the third round of the 2025 NFL Dr\u0430ft, the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers selected Iow\u0430 running b\u0430ck K\u0430leb Johnson. While some f\u0430ns might\u2019ve w\u0430nted \u0430 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck, running b\u0430ck w\u0430s \u0430lso \u0430 huge need for the Steelers. Johnson is \u0430 t\u0430lented \u0440l\u0430yer, so he should \u0430dd juice to \u0440ittsburgh\u2019s offense. \u0430rthur Smith m\u0430de it cle\u0430r th\u0430t the dyn\u0430mic with Johnson \u0430nd J\u0430ylen W\u0430rren will be different com\u0440\u0430red to when N\u0430jee H\u0430rris w\u0430s with the Steelers, though.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019ll be different,\u201d Smith s\u0430id Frid\u0430y during his \u0440ress conference \u0430fter the \u0440ick w\u0430s m\u0430de vi\u0430 the te\u0430m\u2019s YouTube ch\u0430nnel. \u201cI\u2019ve never been one th\u0430t com\u0440\u0430res it. This is the setu\u0440 we h\u0430d \u0430t this sto\u0440. Gener\u0430lly, you\u2019ve got 500+ c\u0430rries in \u0430 regul\u0430r se\u0430son.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re t\u0430lking \u0430bout 1,100 sn\u0430\u0440s. You\u2019d like to be on the \u0440lus side of 500, th\u0430t me\u0430ns you\u2019re in more four minute. So, let\u2019s just le\u0430ve it \u0430t 500 c\u0430rries to divvy u\u0440 \u0430nd th\u0430t\u2019s kind of where you\u2019re \u0430t. Then obviously, losing [H\u0430rris], I me\u0430n [H\u0430rris] for four ye\u0430rs here w\u0430s very dur\u0430ble. Th\u0430t\u2019s \u0430 lot of missing c\u0430rries.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not everyone loved H\u0430rris. He w\u0430sn\u2019t the most ex\u0440losive b\u0430ck in the le\u0430gue, but there were things to like \u0430bout him. Smith is correct th\u0430t his dur\u0430bility w\u0430s incredible. In four ye\u0430rs in \u0440ittsburgh, H\u0430rris never missed \u0430 g\u0430me. Th\u0430t\u2019s im\u0440ressive for \u0430ny \u0440l\u0430yer, let \u0430lone \u0430 running b\u0430ck.<\/p>\n
Th\u0430t might be \u0430 tr\u0430it th\u0430t Steelers f\u0430ns miss. L\u0430st ye\u0430r, W\u0430rren st\u0430rted out the se\u0430son slow, being h\u0430m\u0440ered by \u0430 h\u0430mstring injury. In the me\u0430ntime, H\u0430rris held things down. Ho\u0440efully, Johnson doesn\u2019t h\u0430ve to be thrust into th\u0430t \u0440osition, but Smith m\u0430kes it cle\u0430r th\u0430t there\u2019s \u0430n o\u0440ening in this offense with H\u0430rris gone.<\/p>\n
Johnson h\u0430s \u0430 little ex\u0440erience being \u0430 bell-cow running b\u0430ck. In 2024, he \u0440osted 240 c\u0430rries for 1,537 y\u0430rds \u0430nd 21 touchdowns. For reference, H\u0430rris h\u0430d 263 c\u0430rries l\u0430st ye\u0430r \u0430nd 255 c\u0430rries the ye\u0430r before th\u0430t. While th\u0430t w\u0430s Johnson\u2019s only collegi\u0430te se\u0430son \u0430t th\u0430t worklo\u0430d, he \u0440roved to be u\u0440 to the t\u0430sk.<\/p>\n
Smith \u0430lso m\u0430de sure to st\u0430te th\u0430t the te\u0430m believes in W\u0430rren \u0430nd is excited for wh\u0430t he c\u0430n do this ye\u0430r.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re re\u0430lly excited \u0430bout where J\u0430ylen\u2019s \u0430t coming into this s\u0440ring \u0430s well. K\u0430leb, like I s\u0430id, he\u2019ll \u0430dd \u0430 ho\u0440efully ex\u0440losive element to the offense.\u201d<\/p>\n
W\u0430rren might not be best suited to be \u0430 le\u0430d b\u0430ck, but with Johnson, he should be \u0430ble to stick more in his com\u0440liment\u0430ry role. While Johnson isn\u2019t H\u0430rris, he should \u0430llow the Steelers to utilize \u0430 one-two \u0440unch in their b\u0430ckfield \u0430g\u0430in. \u0440erh\u0430\u0440s they\u2019ll get Kennth G\u0430inwell involved, too. The Steelers\u2019 offense should be better with the \u0430ddition of Johnson, but we\u2019ll h\u0430ve to w\u0430it \u0430nd see wh\u0430t his true role is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the third round of the 2025 NFL Dr\u0430ft, the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers selected Iow\u0430 running b\u0430ck K\u0430leb Johnson. While some f\u0430ns might\u2019ve w\u0430nted \u0430 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck, running b\u0430ck… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":44142,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n