Party like it’s 2021. The Pittsburgh Steelers just lost in the Wild Card Round, the economy is in freefall, and there’s a special running back prospect waiting to be taken in Round 1.
First, it was Najee Harris, who the Steelers took with the 24th pick before watching him run his way to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Injuries dampened his impact over the proceeding three seasons, taking him from a formidable every-down back to a between-the-tackles plodder with limited upside.
As such, Pittsburgh moved on from him after the 2024 season, escorting him to free agency where he quickly signed with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Now, there’s a 300-touch hole in the backfield, and Kenneth Gainwell won’t be the only hired gun to fix it.
Like Harris, the top running back prospect in his class, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty stands alone in 2025, allowing the Steelers to repeat their past selection if he falls far enough.
Jeanty has been mocked to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 throughout much of the cycle, but a league-wide shift away from the position means he could slip deep into Round 1 fairly easily. At No. 21, Pittsburgh is positioned well to end his potential slide.
There’s reason to be excited about a Jeanty selection. He’s one of the class’ safest bets to be an elite player at his position and is coming off of one of the most prolific seasons in recent college football memory. Jeanty is a bowling ball with big-play potential on seemingly every touch, offering 80-grade contract balance, a unique feel for evading tackles near the line of scrimmage, and enough speed to pull away.
Needless to say, he’d be a strong starter in the Steelers’ backfield and take a real need off the table. Gainwell and Warren are better served as complementary backs, and Jeanty does his best work on early downs. Pittsburgh’s struggles in the run game were perhaps uniquely not to blame on the offensive line, and if it plans on playing January football, it will need to find more success on the ground to control the clock and keep the offense ahead of schedule.
With that said, the reason why teams are pivoting off of Round 1 running backs is because of the lack of surplus value they provide. Jeanty would already be paid like one of the league’s top backs, demanding he performs at an elite level from the jump.
Running backs simply don’t have as direct of an impact on winning games as other options, and Jeanty isn’t exactly Saquon Barkley joining the Philadelphia Eagles as their final piece of the puzzle.
Taking Jeanty wouldn’t be the best use of resources, but it would make Pittsburgh more fun, and without a franchise quarterback, that might be what Steelers fans have to settle for.
