Insider: Steelers Could Make Surprising First-Round Pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers' work at the running back position is far from over this offseason.

After Najee Harris bolted (no pun intended) back home to California and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh no longer has a true workhorse in its rotation.

As a restricted free agent, Jaylen Warren received a second-round tender worth $5.346 million for the 2025 season and thus will stick around as a key cog within the team's offense.

Kenneth Gainwell agreed to his own one-year pact coming off a Super Bowl-winning campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he'll account for $1.79 million against the cap next year.

Pittsburgh's next best option outside of that pair is 34-year-old Cordarrelle Patterson, who posted 135 rushing yards on 32 carries last season.

Suffice to say, the Steelers would benefit from adding another option into the mix who has the capacity to take on a major responsibility in a run-happy scheme under Arthur Smith.

A few enticing players remain available in free agency, but the NFL Draft is a more likely avenue for Pittsburgh to improve through.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac implied as much, writing that he's been told not to "rule out" the possibility of the organization selecting a running back in the first round come April 24.

Furthermore, Dulac would expect that rookie to slot in ahead of Warren and Gainwell on the depth chart as the main ball carrier.

There's almost no world in which Boise State's Ashton Jeanty will slide down all the way to No. 21, meaning the Steelers would have to trade up in order to secure him. That scenario isn't particularly feasible, but there's plenty of additional prospects who may catch the team's eye.

North Carolina's Omarion Hampton has garnered significant first-round buzz, though he too may fly off the board before Pittsburgh is on the clock.

The Steelers met with the Ohio State duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins ahead of their Pro Day earlier this week, both of whom should be selected relatively early.

Moreover, they either plan to, or already have, hosted the likes of Texas' Jaydon Blue, Kansas State's DJ Giddens, Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten, Tennessee's Dylan Sampson and Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II on pre-draft visits.

Pittsburgh's dedicated a ton of time and energy to evaluating this year's running back class, and its desire to bring in a talented player at the position is unmistakable.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!