Steelers HC Mike Tomlin gives honest thoughts after Kaleb Johnson's draft

Mike Tomlin shared his honest assessment of third-round draft pick Kaleb Johnson. Tomlin, who has been the Steelers' coach since 2007, addressed questions about Johnson alongside offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

The comments came during the team's post-draft press conference on Monday, after Pittsburgh had completed its selections in the 2025 NFL draft.

"I was talking about a physicality and big man agenda, this is a high volume, capable runner who was the center of his offense a lot of NFL Sunday, like runs, if you will," Tomlin said. "Meaning he did it from the home position or the pistol position, into a lot of loaded boxes. It wasn't a lot of guesswork or Saturday, like holes on his tape, and that made the evaluation a fun one. In the projection, an easy one.

"Less concerned about the measurables, and really more concerned about, you know, the play style and a resume, and certainly he's a guy that's capable of high volume carries."

Johnson, standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 224 pounds, ran a 4.57 at the NFL Scouting Combine, raising questions about his top-end speed. The former Iowa Hawkeyes running back was incredibly productive in college, accounting for 1,725 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2024, representing over half of Iowa's 40 touchdowns that season.

Tomlin addresses Kaleb Johnson's speed concerns

NFL: Combine - Source: Imagn

When specifically asked about Kaleb Johnson's speed concerns, Mike Tomlin dismissed the notion.

"We didn't question his speed whatsoever watching the video — and oftentimes that's the case," Tomlin said during Monday's prss conference. "You can watch video and be really excited about someone's speed, or you can go to the combine and get excited by their 40 time. His speed was not in question on the video. He broke a lot of long runs in the Big Ten, as we talked about earlier."

According to USA Today, Johnson finished second in the country with 861 breakaway yards and fourth nationally with 1,060 yards after contact in 2024. These numbers suggest that Johnson possesses both the burst to break long runs and the power to fight through tackles.

Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith also weighed in on the selection, describing Johnson as a "great culture fit."

The selection signals the Steelers' continued commitment to a physical running game, although Johnson may have some development ahead in the passing game. Reports indicate he wasn't heavily used as a receiver at Iowa and needs work in pass protection. This could initially limit him to early-down work, with Jaylen Warren potentially handling third-down duties to start the season.