The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a running back room that looks quite different from what we saw last year. With the draft in about two weeks, what could the Pittsburgh Steelers do to add to a relatively thin running back room?
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris signed a one year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. Najee Harris ran for over 1000 yards over the past four seasons, and was the definition of reliable and dependable. Harris totaled 4,312 yards with 28 total touchdowns in his Steelers career. There is no doubt that he will have to be replaced.
The Steelers will turn to Jaylen Warren to be the starting back this upcoming season. Warren took over the starting spot late in the season and proved to be a capable RB-1. Warren and Harris made for a unique combination for the Steelers. . Harris was bigger, but slower. Warren is smaller, but faster. Warren is on the smaller side at 5’8”. What Warren lacks in size, he makes up for with strength and being what I like to call a “pinball” as a player. Warren’s physicality is his best trait and he makes himself hard to tackle on each carry. Warren finished the season with 120 carries, 511 yards and one touchdown, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers made an interesting free agent signing when they brought in recent Super Bowl champion Kenneth Gainwell from the Philadelphia Eagles. Gainwell was a 5th round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2021 NFL draft. Gainwell spent the last four years in Philadelphia and most recently, spent last year playing behind Saquon Barkley, sharing a decent amount of snaps throughout the course of the season. Gainwell’s strengths as a player include his ability to catch passes in the flat, and being a change of pace back. In four seasons with Philadelphia, Gainwell rushed 280 times for 1,185 yards and twelve touchdowns, while adding 102 catches for 721 yards. The Steelers are looking for a complementary running back to play behind Warren, and Gainwell could definitely fit that role.
The Steelers also have well known veteran Cordarrelle Patterson at running back/kick returner. Patterson had a disappointing season last year, with no real plays of big yards or any big kick returns that he has been known for throughout the course of his career. He only managed 32 carries on the season for 135 yards. Patterson is 34 and it is hard to see how he can fit into their offense. Calvin Austin will be used as a punt and kick off returner as he was last year, and there’s no reason why a player like Gainwell, given his speed, could not slide right into that slot as well.
An interesting free agent option the Steelers could pursue at running back would be former Baltimore Ravens running back JK Dobbins. Dobbins is only 26 and still has a good amount of football left in him.
In terms of running back depth, the Steelers have Jonathan Ward, Evan Hull and Aaron Shampklin.
It would be fair to assume that the Pittsburgh Steelers will draft a running back at some point in the NFL Draft. Obviously, the likes of Ashton Jeanty will be gone by the time the Steelers pick at 21. The Steelers have done their due diligence at the running back position, however. Most recently they’ve brought in Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina and Ollie Gordon II, out of Oklahoma State for top thirty visits.
Overall, the Steelers have a good running back room that lacks one extra player to play alongside Warren. It would be a safe bet to assume the Steelers will address it in the draft or a late free agent signing. Given the caliber of running back prospects this year, the Steelers could definitely go into one of the later rounds or the undrafted class and grab somebody they value enough that could be a valuable piece of a running back combination with Warren.
(photo courtesy of wkbn.com)