Steelers Rookie Contacts Derrick Henry And Compares Himself to 'King'

The Pittsburgh Steelers starting running back a year ago Najee Harris signed with the Los Angeles Chargers this free agency, opening a void in Mike Tomlin's already questionable offense.

In the 2025 NFL Draft, the team addressed this hole by selecting Iowa's standout running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round.

There is a lot of anticipation from fans that Johnson can provide an immediate spark to the struggling Pittsburgh attack.

Now Johnson himself is joining in on the buzz by comparing his talents to some of the best running backs in the NFL.

"I feel like I’m a versatile back,” Johnson said. “I can be a Derrick Henry back or I can be a Dalvin Cook back.

"I feel like that’s what separates me from a lot of backs in the league and in this class that I came into, because, overall, I feel like I’m a fast back and I can be a strong back. Also, catch the ball out of the backfield and be reliable.”

At 6-1 and over 220 pounds, Johnson is a physically imposing presence, very similar to Henry (6-2, 247). That size is used to their advantage by being large passing target out of the backfield to go along with their strength rushing between the tackles.

Harris was also known for his versatility during his time in the Steel City. With the Steelers, Harris thrived in the receiving game by averaging 287 yards per season through the air.

Putting Johnson in this role feels like a perfect replacement.

That dual-threat skillset was on full display during the his All-American season with the Hawkeyes in 2024. He tallied 1,537 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns on the ground and added 188 yards and two touchdowns receiving.

Johnson also spoke about his personal relationship with Henry and how the Baltimore Ravens superstar has encouraged him throughout the Draft process.

Said the rookie: "I've been texting him. He's been texting me. And he's been very motivative and really just telling me, you know, the ins and outs of the league and stuff like that, so that was very exciting."

Johnson will have some large shoes to fill if he wants to live up to the likes of Henry, who also averages over 200 receiving yards per 17 games played, but this mindset could go a long way in proving his worth as a rookie.

"I feel like [the AFC North] relates to the Big 10 and what I played in,'' he said. "So, I feel like I'm really used to the 'smash-mouth', 'running the ball' football, and, you know, I'm just really excited to get to work and really excited to be a part of this organization."