Steelers Reveal Why Iowa's Kaleb Johnson Was Their Perfect Fit In 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted running back Kaleb Johnson out of Iowa for a handful of reasons. The main thing, though, is that they had a need at running back and felt Johnson would be the perfect fit for their scheme.

That's, of course, the reason most draft picks happen (need and fit), but the Steelers recently explained exactly why they felt the 6-foot-1, 224-pound former Hawkeye can be a beast in the "steel city".

In a feature named "How he fits", Steelers writer Dale Lolley mentioned two reasons the Steelers went out and used pick No. 83 on Johnson.

"Johnson, 21, is a bruising one-cut runner who should fit perfectly as a zone-scheme runner in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's offense. He accounted for 66 missed tackles in 2024, sixth-most in college football," Lolley wrote.

The zone scheme that Smith runs is great for a runner like Johnson because as the whole line gets flowing one way or the other, the running back is able to pick and choose the hole that opens up, make one cut, and then accelerate upfield. The Hawkeyes have been running zone schemes for years, so there should be very little learning curve for Johnson, even against NFL competition.

Johnson also had something that Pittsburgh has always coveted out of its running backs.

"Johnson also brings the Steelers a little more size at the running back along with 215-pound Jaylen Warren and 201-pound Kenneth Gainwell at the top of the team's running back depth chart," Lolley wrote.

Keep in mind, the Steelers essentially drafted Johnson to replace Najee Harris, who is now with the Los Angeles Chargers. Harris is even bigger than Johnson at 6-foot-1, 242 pounds, but Johnson has been known to run big and tough.

From Franco Harris to Jerome Bettis. From Le'Veon Bell to Najee Harris. Big, tough running backs have always been a staple in Pittsburgh.

One could say that Johnson was made in Kirk Ferentz's "Hawkeye lab" specifically to be a Steeler.