Dwain McFarland pointed out that Kaleb Johnson didn’t see action until the third preseason series but still took five carries for 24 yards and has strung together two strong exhibition outings. At 220-plus pounds, Johnson’s size and downhill style make him the back most likely to win Arthur Smith’s favor as the season wears on. McFarland recommended treating Johnson as a late bench stash in drafts, betting on him to emerge from what looks like an early-season three-man rotation.

FPTS Staff recommended steering clear of Kaleb Johnson after he looked slow and sluggish in his first preseason appearance. They believe the running back’s adjustment to NFL speed is proving steeper than expected, projecting minimal early-season impact and questioning whether he can earn meaningful touches at his current draft price.

Derek Brown projected Kaleb Johnson to inherit the bulk of Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense after Pittsburgh cut ties with Najee Harris. The Steelers ranked 4th in rushing attempts last year while Harris soaked up 299 touches (10th-most). Even a tempered 250-touch outlook for Johnson would have finished 21st league-wide. Brown highlighted Johnson’s explosive profile—5th in breakaway percentage, 8th in yards after contact per carry, 14th in elusive rating (PFF)—and predicted Jaylen Warren would remain in his change-of-pace role. Johnson opens 2025 as a rock-solid RB2/3 with a realistic chance to finish as an RB1 down the stretch if he distances himself from Warren better than Harris ever did.

Andrew Erickson highlighted the 300 touches vacated by Najee Harris. Johnson led the rookie class with a 33% career dominator rating and posted 1,500+ yards and 21 TDs last season with zero fumbles. Erickson says that profile plus Smith’s RB-heavy approach makes Johnson a potential league-wrecker once he passes Jaylen Warren.

Mark Ringo likes Johnson’s 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame in Arthur Smith’s run-centric scheme. With RB27 ADP and first-round talent per many scouts, Ringo believes Johnson can channel a Larry Johnson-like workload and smash his draft cost.

Mario Puig advised fading Kaleb Johnson at his current 68.7 Underdog ADP because Pittsburgh is expected to lean on Jaylen Warren (98.7 ADP) while Johnson comes off the bench. Puig pointed out that Johnson’s third-round draft capital is being over-weighted by drafters even though he brings little to the two areas that create fantasy points: passing-down snaps and goal-line work. At 6-1/224 with a high center of gravity, Johnson is less effective in short yardage than the 5-8/215 Warren, and he logged almost no third-down reps at Iowa—Lance Zierlein wrote he is "unlikely to be trusted with third-down protection duties." To justify this price Johnson would need to assume nearly the entire 296-touch workload Najee Harris vacated in 2024, a leap Puig considers unrealistic. Meanwhile proven starters such as D'Andre Swift (70.9), Isiah Pacheco (75.0) and Tony Pollard (81.8) are available later. Puig recommended taking only hedge-level exposure, or waiting until Johnson falls past ADP in best-ball drafts.

Beimfohr sees third-round pick Kaleb Johnson as the perfect fit for Mike Tomlin’s preferred sledgehammer style. Tomlin praised Johnson’s lack of “Saturday yards,” noting the Iowa star produced against stacked eight-man boxes all year—valuable given the Steelers’ QB situation will again invite loaded fronts. Johnson’s early-down skill set mirrors Najee Harris but with more juice; Beimfohr believes he could take over the lead-runner role by October while Jaylen Warren remains the pass-game change-up. With Harris entering his fifth-year option debate and the Steelers unlikely to extend him, Johnson has a path to 15-plus touches weekly and league-winning contingent value if Harris breaks down. At a current ADP outside the top 120, Beimfohr is loading up, especially on Najee-faded builds.