Steelers' Jerome Bettis Has No Mention Of Kaleb Johnson When Talking About "Two Solid Running Backs" In 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 offseason has certainly been one for the books. A lot of the moves made by General Manager Omar Khan have left plenty of fans talking about the trades that have occurred, rather than the draft class. The team decided to bolster the defensive interior, as was expected, but one of the most important players from the group is rookie running back Kaleb Johnson. After the organization let Najee Harris walk in free agency, it was imperative to bring a long-term option in to help Jaylen Warren in the backfield. The stout ball-carrier from the University of Iowa was the choice.

The Steelers have almost always been a ground-and-pound approach, which is why a two-headed monster is necessary on the depth chart, especially during this era of the NFL. There have been some dominant running backs throughout Pittsburgh's history, which is why Johnson has a lot to prove if he wants to cement himself as one of the greats down the line.

Jerome Bettis had a storybook ending to his professional career, capturing his lone Super Bowl ring at the end of the 2005 season. He is an old-school type of football player, so it's no surprise that he recently told Ed Easton Jr. of the USA Today's Chiefs Wire that he doesn't necessary like the idea of not having one guy that carries the load for a team on offense.

"People have taken the running back position a little bit for granted," Bettis said. "You know what? We can get just a guy to go out and give us 12 to 15 carries, and then we get another guy to give us another 10 or eight carries. We can do it by just getting a couple of good players, and they don't have to pay the price of a top-tier running back."

This is pretty much the approach that the Steelers have taken since Harris was drafted and Warren was signed. There's no reason to believe Bettis was speaking about his former team specifically, but the shoe certainly fits. Bettis went on to acknowledge that there were really only two strong ball-carriers in the class of 2025, implying that the two first-rounders in Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton are the studs.

"You don't see as many coming out of the NFL," Bettis said to Easton. "Every year, you see one, maybe two. I think they had two solid running backs in this draft, so you felt good about drafting in the first round."

That's a direct analysis from Bettis, despite the fact that he certainly knows the Steelers drafted Johnson outside of round one. Bettis was drafted 10th overall back in 1993, so he may have a skewed version of what a true investment into the position is nowadays.

The running back position has certainly changed since Bettis was playing. The league has turned into a passing one, but Bettis also highlighted teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens when speaking to Chiefs Wire. Both Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have taken their respective offenses to the next level because of dominant play.

It will always be assumed that the players picked in the first round will have stronger careers than those in the later ones, but when Bettis mentions two solid running backs in round one, it would have been great for Steelers fans to hear him give a little bit of support towards Johnson. It's quite possible that Warren is gone after the 2025 campaign, leading to Johnson being the franchise's feature, workhorse back.

Steelers Will Ease Johnson Into A Starting Role

While many fans believe in Warren, it's very possible that the starting job is passed along to Johnson at some point in 2025. Warren is a trusted play-maker who is great in pass protection, so there's no true timetable as to when Johnson could take over. Whenever it occurs, the rookie will be ready to prove that he is a dominant ball-carrier, and will certainly hope that Bettis is watching.

Do you think that there were only two solid running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments below!

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