Pittsburgh Steelers select Kaleb Johnson in third round of 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was the No. 83 overall selection.

Kaleb Johnson firmly cemented his status as one of the best running backs in this draft class during his time with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Even in a loaded class, Johnson’s remarkable production stands out.

Once he hung up his cleats at Iowa, Johnson finished with 2,779 rushing yards for his career, ranking him sixth in school history, just behind Akrum Wadley. He became just the fifth player in Hawkeye football history to have two 200-plus yard rushing games.

His junior year (2024-2025) was a breakout season. Johnson finished with 1,725 all-purpose yards and 23 total touchdowns in 12 games. That’s on 262 touches and he had zero fumbles the whole season. As far as his advanced analytics, Johnson ranked second in the running back class in breakaway yards (861) and fourth in yards after contact (1,060). He also ranked third in the country (28) with designed rushing attempts of more than 15-plus yards.

Not only did he put up exceptional numbers this year, but he did so under difficult conditions. Their running backs often face stacked boxes and that was no different for Johnson.

According to Warren Sharp, Johnson faced 7.1 defenders in the box on average, ranking second in the class. He only had 28% of his runs against a light box, which ranks lowest in this running back class. But when he ran against a light box, Johnson shined, averaging 9.8 yards per carry, ranking No. 1 in the class. He also carried the Iowa offense all season long, accounting for 40% of their offensive yardage, ranking him second in the class.

Johnson stacked up the accolades in 2024, bringing home first team All-American honors from multiple media publications. He was also named the Big Ten Running Back of the Year, as well as first team All-Big Ten from the coaches and media. Johnson finished the year with 240 carries for 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. As a receiver, he hauled in 22 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

In 2023, Johnson had 117 carries for 463 rushing yards and three touchdowns. In 2022, he had 151 carries for 779 rushing yards, posting substantially better numbers than his sophomore year with the Hawkeyes. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry in 2022 vs. 4.0 yards per carry in 2023. It’s important to note in 2023 he started at running back in five games, appearing in 10. He missed three games that season due to injury.

In 2022, Johnson once again brought home some accolades, earning honorable mention freshman All-American honors from College Football News. That season, he saw action in all 13 games, starting in six of those. Johnson also returned 13 kickoffs his freshman year for 325 yards (25 yards per return), leading the team.

As a high school prospect, Johnson played for Hamilton High School (Hamilton, Ohio), where he was tabbed as a three-star recruit according to the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2022 cycle. He was also ranked as the No. 421 overall player in America and the No. 32 running back in the country.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Kaleb Johnson

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compares Kaleb Johnson to Tyler Allgeier of the Atlanta Falcons. In his scouting profile on Johnson, one of the biggest things he’ll need to work on in the future is pass protection. That being said, Zierlein make him a good fit for a two-running back system, with the possibility of taking over a bigger chunk of the workload down the road.

“Johnson is built like a bruiser, but his style is more finesse, preferring to win with tempo and decisiveness. He keeps his runs on time and on track while allowing blockers to do their job. He’s not overly aggressive, but he has the size and strength to break tackles and grab extra yards at the finish. He runs with below-average creativity and cut quickness but has consistent linear play speed to pop chunk runs,” Zierlein explained.

“He can catch, but his three-down value takes a hit because of his struggles in pass pro. Johnson’s traits and running style make him a projectable fit in a two-back system with the upside to take on a bigger chunk down the road,” Zierlein finished.