Steelers Shouldn't Take RB Early in NFL Draft

Najee Harris' departure to the Los Angeles Chargers left the bulk of the carries up for grabs in the Pittsburgh Steelers' running back room, but the team doesn't have to look far for his replacement.

Though all of the talk about Pittsburgh targeting the position early in the NFL Draft is certainly noteworthy, Jaylen Warren is more than capable of stepping into the featured back role in 2025.

An undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State in 2022, Warren beat the odds by cracking the Steelers' 53-man roster as a rookie and has been a requisite part of their offense from that point forward.

After rushing for a combined 1,163 yards during his first two years in the league, Warren went for 511 yards and a score on 120 attempts in 2024 to go with 38 catches for 310 yards.

At 5-foot-8 and 215 pounds, he's never operated as a true workhorse in the NFL while playing alongside Harris.

Warren garnered double-digit carries in a single game on just four occasions this past season, with 14 representing his high-water mark.

During the final year of his collegiate career, however, he notched at least 25 rushing attempts four times while averaging 19.75 throughout Oklahoma State's 12-game slate in the regular season.

Warren's 4.8 yards per carry with the Steelers profiles as one of the top marks in the league over the last three years, but his overall numbers lag behind some of the premier backs because he hasn't taken on the same amount of work.

With Harris now gone though, Pittsburgh should afford Warren every opportunity to go out there and lead its rotation at the position.

Kenneth Gainwell is the perfect third-down back who can spell him while making an impact in the receiving game, and there's nothing stopping the team from targeting Warren's long-term replacement on Day 3 of the draft while he plays under the second-round tender before reaching unrestricted free agency next offseason.

The Steelers have met with and hosted a large chunk of the top running back prospects in this year's class, which signals that they're seriously considering addressing the position with one of their first picks, but Warren has earned the right to take the reins in 2025.