Will Caleb Johnson make the 2026 Steelers?

I believe if we draft another rb in the 1st three rounds it will say a lot about what they really think so far. It doesn't mean they will get rid of him, but it means he will have a short leash.

 

Short yardage would make a lot more sense, but only if he gets a heck of a lot better.

 

It was coming out of Mike McCarthy's mouth... He didn't spell it, just said Caleb Johnson.

He could have been talking about the singer, but I am pretty sure he was talking about the Steelers Running back.

 

James Connor was weak in pass protection but he worked on it and then he started getting snaps

 

Steelers have power but they need a burner at RB. Someone that scares the bejeesus out of a defense when they see him get the ball. Mike Washington in Rd3 or Claiborne in Rd4. Johnson, scares no one.

 

I am not sure about CJ yet since we have not seen nor really heard a great deal about him, and what we have seen in the small sampling has not been incredibly encouraging. Roman Wilson on the other hand may not be the answer for the slot. He works hard judging only by the route running training he has been seen doing. Looks like he has the speed and his moves seem fluid but I wonder about his ability to translate what has learned to the field. Seems like there is a disconnect.

 

The FO thought enough to draft him in the third just one season ago. His cap hit is under $1.5M. I think he goes into camp as the presumed #3 trying to secure goal line and short yardage duties. He either will have to fall flat on his face, or MM has to really hate the guy in order to see him gone.

 

MM made it clear he will start camp with a clean slate

Well if can remember to do his 3 Hail Mary’s

 

I do think Warren's speed and quickness scares people.

A running back I would think about is Nick Singleton out of Penn State. He broke his foot at the Senior Bowl, so I know that alone can make him drop. He has been a pretty durable player in college. He may not be able to play for part of the season. I'm not sure about the recovery time, but with the talent in the room they really wouldn't need him immediately. I think Johnson would have a real problem if they drafted him, and he is the type of player that may eventually have a chance to climb to the top of the depth chart when healthy.

He's 6' tall and listed at 219 lbs. He has elite speed. He was clocked at over 23 MPH in the open field. If he gets a step, I haven't seen anyone catch him. He has good size, and he is also excellent in pass protection with the ability to be physical when blocking. He doesn't have incredible moves a runner, but if there is an opening he's gone. He is more of a great one cut and gone runner.

If he was still available in say the fourth round, I think they could be getting a really good, explosive player at a discount price.

 

Yeah, we essentially have two #1's. There is no reason to sprinkle Johnson in, as (as of now) the in ability between them and Johnson is immense. If Johnson wants to make the team, he will have to learn how to be a complete back. He is going to have to learn to block and release into a receiving position (and be a threat in space) in order to earn himself some touches. He's not an awful option if he can show that in the preseason, since we would be one injury away in the backfield from him getting 8-10 touches a game. RB's get nicked up a good bit, so there is a reality where Warren and Dowdle each miss a game or two during the season. However, since he shows no ST ability, he will likely have to improve immensely as a player to make the team. A ST ace that can catch out of the backfield and take a handful of carries adds a ton of value to the team and could easily push Johnson off... only time will tell.

My gut feeling tells me Johnson gets cut. I would like to be wrong since we spent decent capital on him, and to be so wrong about him would hurt. But, his year last year was so bad that it really makes me question if he has NFL ability at all.

 

I would love this route. I like Singleton as a player. He could be a David Montgomery type IMO. It would essentially close the book on Johnson, which would suck for wasting that pick, but I think he's the right type of guy for your "big" in a tandem.

Also, on Warren... yes. His speed and quickness scares people. He isn't Jahmyr Gibbs or anything, but he is incredibly hard to bring down in the open field because he has good stop/start cutting ability, great contact balance, and is shifty enough to make people miss. His legs are so thick that you have to wrap him up perfectly or he will wiggle free. Add in the fact that he isn't afraid to be a bit of a battering ram when needed to, and I think he's definitely scary. Not scary in the same way as others, but you don't get to be a perennial top 5 guy in forced missed tackles per carry in the league and not be considered scary in the open field.

 

Singleton would be awesome!

He is probably under appreciated and overlooked because he also shared a backfield in college.

Kaleb’s rookie year concerns me. Rookie running backs usually are able to come in and contribute right away, but it looked like it was too big for him. Odds aren’t high that he rebounds.

 

I'm not sure this is true. Dowdle ripped off a 53-yard run last season and has shown the ability to be an explosive runner in the past. Warren doesn't do it all that often, but he did have the two long touchdown runs last season. Neither is an elite back, but the Steelers already have a couple of backs who can make explosive plays.