The Pittsburgh Steelers’ current running back room is deep, but a little weak at the top.
That’s not meant to slight Jaylen Warren or newcomer Kenneth Gainwell, but all signs point to the Steelers adding another starting-caliber RB in the 2025 NFL Draft after losing former first-string ball carrier Najee Harris in free agency.
On March 15, Pro Football Network analyst Jacob Infante predicted that said rookie will be Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo, within a seven-round mock draft with PFN.
“After the departure of Najee Harris in free agency, the Steelers could use a new power back to pair with Jaylen Warren,” the Pro Football Network writer reasoned. “Cam Skattebo is a strong, determined runner with good ball-carrier vision who fights for every yard.”
Ironically, Infante made the Skattebo selection at No. 83 overall, one pick after potential quarterback target Jalen Milroe came off the board.
Potential Steelers RB Target Cam Skattebo Referred to as ‘Carnage Creator’ Who Has ‘Elite Contact Balance’
Skattebo is unlike any other running back in the draft — and you’d be hard-pressed to find a large number of comparisons around the league.
“Every few years, a back emerges from the depths of college football to force NFL evaluators to throw their traditional metrics out the window,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote, describing the Arizona State product. “Skattebo fits that mold perfectly – the former Sacramento State standout who transformed himself from FCS transfer to Heisman finalist through sheer force of will. His tape shows a runner who seems to feed off being overlooked, consistently outperforming his athletic testing numbers through exceptional instincts and raw determination.”
NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein had a unique label for Skattebo too: “Carnage creator.”
“Carnage creator with a compact frame and elite contact balance,” Zierlein scouted. “Skattebo can break through second-level tacklers and careen off of bodies for extended yards after contact. He reads his blocks quickly and is more elusive in the early stages of the run than he’s probably given credit for.”
On the flip side, Skattebo’s weaknesses are no secret — although it’s possible they’re overblown, considering the prospect’s sheer strength of will.
“He lacks top-end speed and will have to contend with bigger, better tacklers on the next level,” Zierlein noted candidly.
The veteran analyst also credited Skattebo for his “effectiveness as a receiver out of the backfield” and his “physicality and edge [that] should bode well for him as a complementary back with three-down value who is capable of helping an offense wear down the defense.”
Steelers Beat Reporter Says Don’t Rule Out First-Round RB Selection
On March 20, The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo highlighted the running back room as an area that Pittsburgh could still add to in the draft.
“The Steelers’ running back room transformed during free agency,” the beat writer began. “Najee Harris bolted for the [Los Angeles] Chargers. Meanwhile, Jaylen Warren received a second-round tender that will keep him in Pittsburgh next year for $5.3 million, and Kenneth Gainwell signed a one-year contract. For the time being, Cordarrelle Patterson is also on the payroll.”
“Though the Steelers now have three running backs in Warren, Gainwell and (potentially) Patterson, they’re still very much in the market for a ball carrier,” DeFabo went on. “Expect the Steelers to host several running backs, including some who could go as high as the first round or early in the second, during the pre-draft process.”
Concluding: “In a deep and talented class, our draft analyst Dane Brugler has eight backs inside his top 100: Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty (No. 5), Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson (No. 35), [North Carolina’s] Omarion Hampton (No. 36), Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson (No. 49), Oregon’s Jordan James (No. 62), Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins (No. 70), Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson (No. 80) and UCF’s RJ Harvey (No. 95).”
Skattebo, ironically, was not ranked within Brugler’s top 100, going round three in Infante’s mock.
