The Pittsburgh Steelers turned the page to a new chapter at running back this offseason.
After allowing Najee Harris to depart to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, the team re-signed Jaylen Warren, signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency and drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round.
In an ideal world, Johnson takes the reins as the lead back in Year 1, with Warren and Gainwell spelling him, and Warren more so than Gainwell. However, with Johnson being unproven, there’s zero guarantee that he’ll pan out.
Apparently, Ryan McCrystal of Sharp Football Analysis doesn’t see that happening, as evidenced by his mocking Penn State star running back Nicholas Singleton to the Steelers with the No. 14 overall pick in his 2026 NFL mock draft.
“There is no Ashton Jeanty in next year’s draft class, but the 220-pound Singleton might be close with his blend of size and speed. His 41 receptions last year also proved he could be a factor in the passing game,” he wrote.
If the Steelers were to draft a running back this high, it would not bode well for Johnson’s future as the lead back.
A lot can change between now and next year’s draft, but as of right now Singleton is considered one of the best running back prospects for 2026.
Singleton is coming off his best season in 2024, when he tallied 1,099 rushing yards, 375 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns (12 rushing). In all, Singleton has found pay dirt 40 times during his collegiate career.
The 6-foot-1, 226-pound back has ideal size and is a powerful runner, but he’s also very explosive and can make house calls from anywhere on the field. He’s already more polished as a pass-catcher coming out than Johnson was, also.
Johnson was certainly a talented back in college, but we wanted to see the Steelers add someone who could bring an explosive element to the offense, something Johnson doesn’t figure to bring with his grinder style that is similar to Harris.
Singleton would instantly check that box, although the Steelers might be hard-pressed to pass on a quarterback if there’s one worthy of a pick in that spot.
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