There was a lot of hype and anticipation heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Saturday night, the game set to give us our first look at the team’s rookie class inside a stadium.
While some, like defensive lineman Yahya Black, outside linebacker Jack Sawyer and inside linebacker Carson Bruener, had some strong moments, others struggled a bit.
That includes third-round running back Kaleb Johnson.
Seen as a perfect fit for Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and his zone-running scheme, Johnson got off to a slow start against the Jaguars. He finished with just 20 yards on eight carries and had some rough moments. That has NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter a bit concerned.
In the preseason opener, Reuter gave Johnson a grade of ‘C+’ while highlighting some issues within Johnson’s showing.
“His jump-cuts behind zone blocking helped him get outside on multiple runs. He was not particularly explosive or elusive against the Jaguars, falling to a shoestring tackle on his first attempt and later getting cut down on a fourth-and-1 by a free defensive back,” Reuter writes, according to NFL.com. “Johnson ran with some power, though, keeping his shoulders low and square to pick up a third-and-4 and later earning a first down on three tough carries.
“The third-round pick stepped up to stop a blind-side blitz on the team’s second touchdown, but he dropped one of his pass targets, trying to run before securing the ball.”
Against the Jaguars, Johnson had a nice run in the second quarter, bouncing outside on a zone run, turning the corner and stepping through a tackle attempt from No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter. Johnson also had a nice run in a short-yardage situation, barreling forward for the first down.
But outside of those two reps, he had some struggles. He was tripped up on his run around left tackle, dropped a pass, and also never released on a pass route to give quarterback Mason Rudolph a safety valve, leading to a sack as he was too overzealous in pass protection.
Coming out of Iowa, Johnson was not a speedster, clocking a 4.58 40-yard dash. But he was a home run hitter in college, and his fit in the Steelers’ zone scheme was very clean. He’s underwhelmed a bit in training camp and the preseason, though.
Based on our Alex Kozora’s training camp stats, Johnson had just 84 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries during team sessions in Latrobe. He also had three receptions on four targets for 24 yards.
The big emphasis for Johnson coming into training camp was pass protection. He flashed at times, but there were some struggles in that department. Still, running backs coach Eddie Faulkner and head coach Mike Tomlin were pleased with the growth and excited that he embraces the challenges of being a running back in the NFL.
He’ll need to keep that same mindset because he has a big test in front of him with the Steelers’ joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday before then playing them Saturday at 7 PM/ET at Acrisure Stadium.
It’s still very early for Johnson. He needs to develop chemistry and cohesion with the offensive line, and he’s still learning the system and adjusting to the speed of the NFL. His preseason debut was a bit concerning, but there’s still plenty of time to turn things around and start to fulfill the promise he has.
