LATROBE, Pa. -- When the Steelers opened their training camp here at Saint Vincent College, one of the biggest questions facing the team was what the pecking order behind star running back Najee Harris might look like.
It's starting to take shape. And one player who has emerged is undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren.
The rookie out of Oklahoma State has opened some eyes at this camp with his hard-running style and his desire and willingness as a blocker in backs on backers.
There's obviously still a lot of work to be done, but some team sources have said he's been the second-best running back in this camp behind Harris.
"Wow. Whoa. It’s early. I haven’t done anything yet," Warren said when I told him that. "To hear that, I don’t know, it’s got my blood, like, wooh. I just come in here and work. I’m undrafted. I’ve got to prove something. To hear that, it’s a really great feeling."
This is a guy who is willing to work for everything.
At 5-foot-8, 215 pounds, Warren is a well-built bundle of muscle. He's put in work in the weight room and on his conditioning, as well.
That showed up this week when the Steelers put on the pads and things got physical. He showed up in backs on backers, proving to be a willing blocker. And then, with Harris sitting out after getting his foot stepped on and some other backs missing with injuries, Warren carried the ball -- again and again.
Mike Tomlin has taken notice.
"He has an appetite for the competition," Tomlin said. "That’s a good thing. He’s learning and learning fast. I think the most significant thing that has captured my attention is that he seems really comfortable in these waters from a competition standpoint."
It's an interesting battle. Benny Snell returns after serving as Harris' primary backup in 2021. And third-year running back Anthony McFarland has looked more definitive as both a runner and receiver this year, as well.
Many have paid close attention to former Duke star Mataeo Durrant, who was given a $15,000 signing bonus as an undrafted rookie.
But there was Warren on Thursday getting some first-team looks along with Snell and McFarland on Thursday.
The rookie wasn't perfect. He did have a fumble early in practice -- though he recovered it. But when he got back in there later, he had one of his trademark runs, hitting the hole hard and driving forward for positive yardage.
Warren is a no-nonsense runner. He gets the ball and goes -- with a passion -- running with a very physical style.
Where did he develop that?
"There have been times when I’ve seen it and I try to dance and I get cracked," Warren said. "I try to limit those moments."
NFL.com's draft evaluation of Warren calls him a "wrecking ball on wheels," and that seems fitting. But it has been a long and arduous path to the NFL for the former Utah high school player of the year.
He went the junior college route coming out of Salt Lake City East High School, first going to Snow College. Warren was the Junior College Offensive Player of the Year after his sophomore season but decided to stay close to home and attend Utah State. After spending a season Aggies, rushing for just over 500 yards, Warren played three games in 2020 before opting out in a COVID-19-shortened season.
He transferred to Oklahoma State and won the starting job, also being named a team captain by his teammates despite being a newcomer. Warren rushed for 1,216 yards, winning Big 12 offensive newcomer of the year, and also caught 25 passes for 225 yards while scoring 11 touchdowns.
"I think it was a good move," he told me. "It was nothing against the team. I just felt like after long talks with my family, that’s where my next chapter had to be."
Warren ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and displayed enough that NFL.com felt he would be selected in the sixth round or be a priority free agent. He went undrafted and immediately signed with the Steelers.
Now, he's champing at the bit to get into his first preseason game next weekend when the Steelers open against the Lions at Acrisure Stadium.
"Yeah, for sure," he told me. "I’m excited for it. It’s crazy to think it’s next week. Oh my gosh. I’m excited."
• Warren shows up in the passing game, as well. He catches the ball well, snatching it away from his body.
"I’ve always had confidence in my catching game," he told me. "I didn’t catch a lot in high school, so a lot of people didn’t think I could. But we ran a Wing-T. So they assumed I couldn’t catch. I’m more in a three-point stance. When I transferred to Oklahoma State, they asked me if I used to play basketball because of how I catch the ball (away from his body). I like catching the ball."
• The Diontae Johnson deal is a great one for the Steelers -- and for Johnson.
Johnson, who had been scheduled to earn $2.79 million this season, gets a big check. Though the numbers aren't in just yet, it looks like he got a $16-million signing bonus, which the Steelers can spread over three seasons.
The Steelers offered Johnson the deal Wednesday night after some initial negotiations on Tuesday. He thought about it overnight and agreed to terms on Thursday.
"I love being a Steeler," Johnson said. "I wanna finish my career here.
"I feel like I made the right choice, and I wanna continue to be here for a long time."
How long that is remains to be seen. Johnson is now signed for three full years, with the total package being $39.5 million counting his salary for this season.
Interestingly enough, in three years, George Pickens will be heading into the final year of his rookie deal. So, there's that.
The Steelers can then make a decision regarding which player they want to keep.
Needless to say, by getting both Johnson and Chris Boswell extended this week, it was a good week for Omar Khan.
• That doesn't bode well for Chase Claypool getting a big deal next year when he's entering the final year of his rookie deal.
The Steelers could potentially afford to pay another receiver, but it's doubtful they'll want to pay Claypool more than Johnson -- unless he clearly outplays Johnson this year.
• Pickens has done some very good things in this camp. But he does double-catch the ball an awful lot.
To his credit, he often finds a way to catch the ball after initially bobbling it, but when NFL defensive backs start hitting him in those situations, that might change.
He's good, but let's not put the cart before the horse. Pickens is still a rookie with some things to refine in his game.
• When the Steelers turn to special teams drills, often that's a time for those standing on the sideline to zone out a bit.
But I watched the gunner drills closely on Thursday because that could help determine who does and does not make this roster.
I don't imagine Anthony Miller has done a lot of gunner work in his career, but he looked like a natural at it, splitting a double team and beating both players down the field to be within a couple of yards of the return man.
Later, he did a very good job as a defender, screening off the gunner, cutting off his path to the return man.
Myles Boykin also did a nice job as a gunner, which is to be expected. He's got some of that in his background with the Ravens.
Surprisingly, Calvin Austin III got a chance to do it. He simply used his speed to beat two defenders off the line and beat them downfield to the inside. There also would have been more traffic to the inside if it had been an actual punt, so I don't know if that would have worked. But the speed was obvious.
• DeMarvin Leal looks bigger than his 290-pound listed weight when he's in pads. And he seems to be getting the hang of things.
Leal has active hands with his pass rush, but he'll need to continue to learn to keep his pad level down.
• Are Steelers fans going to be OK with Kendrick Green beating out Kevin Dotson for the starting left guard spot? Because that's what's happening.
Green's mobility is going to be a big factor for this team. We've seen the Steelers roll the pocket quite a bit and there have been some student-body left and right outside pitches, as well.
Green also has been holding up pretty well in one-on-ones. As former Steelers offensive lineman and current sideline reporter Max Starks told me earlier this year, Green's issue last season at center was that he didn't get his snap hand up quickly enough. Once opponents figured that out, they simply put a defensive tackle on his snap hand side and blasted him.
He has no such issue playing guard.
Green and Dotson have continued to rotate with the first unit on a series by series basis. But Green has looked like the better player.
• We're starting to see more consistency from the quarterbacks. But too many of their best passes seem to come when they're on the move or when the play calls for the pocket to roll one way or the other.
That mobility is a nice thing to have. But at some point, when it's third-and-8, you have to be able to stand in the pocket and make a throw.
That's getting better, but, not surprisingly, Mason Rudolph continues to be the guy who is the best at doing that.
• A lot of the jet sweep stuff has been blown up by the Steelers defense, which is seeing that motion play after play and is now eating it up.
Will that happen with opposing defenses once the season begins? We'll see.
One jet sweep that did work was with McFarland Thursday.
He took the handoff and hit the outside at full speed, putting his foot in the ground and splitting two defenders and breaking into the open field.
With Warren showing up, Snell playing well and McFarland also making plays both in the running game and as a receiver, perhaps the Steelers don't have a need for a veteran running back -- which was the consensus thinking going into camp.
