The Pittsburgh Steelers chose to pass on the quarterback position in round one of the 2025 NFL Draft, and according to The Athletic’s Steelers correspondent Mike DeFabo, they could do so again on night two.
“Hearing RB is most likely for the Steelers in Round 3,” DeFabo reported on April 25, following night one of draft weekend. Keep in mind, Pittsburgh does not currently own a second-round pick, so round three is their next available selection, barring a trade.
If the Steelers go this route, it would further reinforce the idea that Pittsburgh is comfortable with Mason Rudolph as their 2025 starter. Or perhaps Aaron Rodgers has given the front office a heads up that he intends to sign after the draft.
Either way, in a weak QB draft class, you run the risk of missing out on all true viable starting candidates if you wait until round four to select a new signal-caller.
Who knows, maybe a quarterback that the Steelers like falls that far — just don’t expect to hear a day one starter’s name called on Saturday.
Which RBs Could Steelers Target in Round 3 of the NFL Draft?
Only two running backs came off the board in the first round, and neither was a surprise. The Las Vegas Raiders snagged Ashton Jeanty after being heavily linked to him throughout the pre-draft process, and the Los Angeles Chargers eventually took Omarion Hampton.
So, who’s next at running back, and which prospects may actually make it to the Steelers? Assuming they don’t trade up for one.
You can pretty much cross Ohio State dual-threat TreVeyon Henderson off your lists. The dynamic running back is expected to be an early day two pick, and Pittsburgh doesn’t have the kind of firepower needed to move up to get him.
Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson is another name that could go in round two, although it’ll be interesting to see how quickly teams target RBs within a deep class.
DeFabo listed the following ball carriers as round three projections, based on the scouting of colleague and draft expert Dane Brugler (The Athletic):
- Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State).
- Dylan Sampson (Tennessee).
- Trevor Etienne (Georgia).
- Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech).
With Purdue’s RJ Harvey, Texas’ Jaydon Blue, Kansas State’s DJ Giddens and Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II profiling as potential day three selections after that.
“The Steelers have done extensive work on running backs, and Round 3 feels like a sweet spot to land one with starting potential,” DeFabo noted.
Henderson, Johnson, Sampson, Tuten, Harvey, Blue, Giddens and Gordon all visited with the Steelers before the draft.
Best Steelers RB Fits to Pair With Jaylen Warren
When you look at this Steelers NFL draft conversation from the standpoint of a complementary backfield, certain running back prospects pair better with Jaylen Warren.
Let’s be clear — Warren is more than just a third-down skat back. Having said that, he stands at 5-foot-8, and he’s no bruiser despite his toughness.
Najee Harris was the early down grinder, and Pittsburgh could use a new one of those in his absence.
If the Steelers choose to shape the backfield as they did in 2024, Johnson, Judkins or Gordon might be the more obvious choice.
“In Ohio State’s potent running back tandem, Judkins was the Najee Harris,” DeFabo reminded on April 25. “The Steelers already have Jaylen Warren and could use another physical bell cow to carry the load.”
Gordon fits a similar profile, and Johnson is a three-down starter if he falls into Pittsburgh’s range.
Then there are the Warren lookalikes. To be clear, not all of these players are exact clones of Warren in terms of skillset, but based on height alone, several of them might be too similar.
Sampson and Harvey are elusive backs that stand at 5-foot-8. Tuten is a 5-foot-9 speedster. And Etienne and Blue are better known for their pass-catching abilities.
The final player named above, Giddens, is 6-foot-0 and 212 pounds, but DeFabo pointed out that “he doesn’t run as physically as his size suggests.”
One name the Steelers beat writer left out — Cam Skattebo. Despite many believing Skattebo fits the Pittsburgh way of life more than any other RB in the class, the Steelers didn’t show a ton of interest in the physical menace before the draft.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t surprise everyone and pick the recent 1,700-yard rusher in round three.
