Steelers New RB Sends Message to Fans

A pair of Johnson's former Hawkeyes teammates are also part of Pittsburgh's rookie class, as the organization selected defensive tackle Yahya Black in the fifth round while signing safety Sebastian Castro as an undrafted free agent.

Johnson should get plenty of opportunities right out of the gate while playing alongside Jaylen Warren, who figures to be the lead back at this point in time, as well as Kenneth Gainwell.

After initially committing to Cal, Johnson signed with the Hawkeyes as a member of their 2022 recruiting class out of Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Ohio, which is a Cincinnati suburb.

He made an immediate impact as a true freshman in a rough-and-tumble Big Ten, posting 779 yards and six touchdowns on 151 carries spread across 13 games.

Johnson's numbers weren't quite as flashy in 2023, logging 463 yards and three scores in 10 contests, though he'd more than make up for it in his junior campaign.

He emerged as one of the top backs in the country this past year, pacing the conference in yards with 1,537 and rushing touchdowns with 21, earning him consensus first-team All-American honors.

Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is also eager to get things rolling with Johnson, calling him a "perfect fit" in any scheme.

"Excited about getting Kaleb Johnson in here," Smith said, per the team's website. "Really explosive running back that we spent some time with on a 30 visit here. One of the more instinctive backs that I've watched in a couple of years coming out of the draft.

"Perfect fit regardless of whatever run scheme you're running. He ran multiple at Iowa. Really impressive as a volume runner as the game went on, and one of the more impressive stats you've seen is the fourth quarter -- what he averaged in the fourth quarter. I believe it was over five yards per carry. Might have been closer to six.

"We think he's a great culture fit. Obviously extremely fired up to get Kaleb in here."

A physical and patient runner who has fantastic vision, Pittsburgh is hoping Johnson will develop into a franchise staple in the backfield.