After the 2024 college football season concluded, Iowa Hawkeyes star Kaleb Johnson was widely viewed as the third-best running back in the 2025 NFL Draft class, with only Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton being ranked ahead of him.
Heck, there were actually some who felt Johnson could leapfrog Hampton and sneak into the first round of the draft. But then, Johnson put forth a rather pedestrian showing in the Scouting Combine, causing his stock to dip.
The 21-year-old ultimately fell all the way to the third round, where the Pittsburgh Steelers picked him up with the 83rd overall selection.
Fortunately, Johnson should get a chance to start instantly for the Steelers following the departure of Najee Harris, and ESPN’s Field Yates is expecting big things from the Iowa product right off the bat.
In a piece where Yates rattled off a group of 10 NFL rookies who could make an immediate impact next season, he placed Johnson on the list.
“Johnson had an outstanding 2024 season at Iowa, using his size, physicality and pass-game acumen to become one of FBS’s best RBs,” Yates wrote. “He ran for 1,537 yards and scored 23 touchdowns from scrimmage. Jaylen Warren will of course play a useful role for Pittsburgh, but offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has a well-established affinity for bigger, bruising backs like Johnson. It won’t surprise me at all if he leads Pittsburgh in carries this season.”
Johnson was the sixth halfback chosen in the draft, so he may have a bit of a chip on his shoulder heading into his debut season.
The Cincinnati native led the Big Ten in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns this past year and set the Hawkeyes’ single-season record for most rushing scores with 21.
We’ll see if Johnson can prove the 31 other NFL teams wrong next fall.
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