Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson takes no prisoners after comparing his game to a Pro Bowl running back within the division
Kaleb Johnson will be the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting running back sooner rather than later. He will have to beat the incumbent Jaylen Warren, but the Steelers didn't let Najee Harris walk and draft Johnson in round three to ride the pine. And when you see who he compares his game to, he'll be playing from […]
Kaleb Johnson will be the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting running back sooner rather than later.
He will have to beat the incumbent Jaylen Warren, but the Steelers didn't let Najee Harris walk and draft Johnson in round three to ride the pine.
And when you see who he compares his game to, he'll be playing from day one if he looks anything like those two in training camp…
Kaleb Johnson is modeling his game after Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook
“I feel like I’m a versatile back," Johnson told Missi Matthews of Steelers media. "I can be a Derrick Henry back or I can be a Dalvin Cook back. I feel like that’s what separates me from a lot of backs in the league and in this class that I came into, because, overall, I feel like I’m a fast back and I can be a strong back. Also, catch the ball out of the backfield and be reliable.”
While some may say "woe, slow your roll, rookie," not only is there nothing wrong with aiming to be like Derrick Henry (even if he's on the Baltimore Ravens) but Johnson's tape shows a hybrid that is not dissimilar to half Henry, half Dalvin Cook.
He's not as big as Henry, and he probably isn't as explosive as Cook was in his prime, but he's a mixture of size and fluidity. Well over 6-0 and 200 pounds, he has silky smooth running style that reminds me of Cook with the Minnesota Vikings, and Henry's physicality with the Tennessee Titans.
Now, overtaking Warren won't be an easy feat. He's far from Mike Tomlin's type as a starter, but he has three years of built-up equity, and the Steelers will make Johnson earn the role before they name him the starter.
Luckily, he's looking forward to it…
"I feel like me and Warren and all the other running backs have got a very good opportunity to do good here and do great things," Johnson said. "I'm just going to go in there as a rookie, learn from Warren. Learn from Gainwell, and really just put my hat down and keep going."
