The Steelers have hosted more running backs than any other position during pre-draft visits. There is a clear priority within the organization, and it just so happens to align with one of the strongest and deepest positions in this year's class.
But, how do these running backs compare to each other? One way is to rank them, though even the top 10 is scratching the surface. The Steelers could very well take one on the third day of the draft and that player become a contributor as a rookie.
These rankings are based on a combination of the player's talent, potential, likelihood of achieving that potential and fit with the Steelers in terms of need and scheme.
1. ASHTON JEANTY, BOISE STATE
Jeanty is far and away the best running back in a very strong class. He checks every single box you should look for in an elite running back in today's NFL, the epitome of a "total-package" player. His footwork is polished, his vision is tremendous, he's explosive, finds extra yards through elite contact balance and he's a threat as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. It's an insult to think he's not worth a first-round pick just because he's a running back. He's an immediate game-changer for the team that drafts him, already a Pro-Bowl talent and even stands a chance of becoming a perennial All-Pro.
2. OMARION HAMPTON, NORTH CAROLINA
One of the most physically-gifted runners in this class, Hampton has the rare blend of being a power back with breakaway speed. And once he puts his foot in the ground and goes, good luck to any defender that tries to stop him. He uses his size and speed to his advantage, creating extra yards through contact and forcing missed tackles. His vision needs improvement and he needs to find more patience in his game to read and react, but those are correctable issues. Well worth a later first-round pick.
Henderson isn't a small back, but at 5-10 and 202 pounds, he isn't the biggest guy, either. However, he's an explosive athlete. He earned a RAS score of 8.87, highlighted by elite marks in the 40-yard dash (4.43), vertical jump (38 1/2 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches). He displays plenty of patience with a true one-cut ability and likes to get north in a hurry. He's also the most polished pass protector in a deep class of running backs. Because of this, he can come in right now and likely earn third-down reps already, which is a great trait for a young back.
4. KALEB JOHNSON, IOWA
Johnson offers a great blend of size at 6-1, 224 pounds, and the ability to run in a wide zone or outside zone system, making him a great fit for Arthur Smith. His size and underrated game speed makes him an intriguing candidate to pair with Jaylen Warren. He's light on his feet and has tremendous burst once he puts his foot in the ground and goes. Johnson currently projects to be a second-round pick, but the Steelers brought him in for a pre-draft visit, so I'm inclined to believe there's a legitimate effort to try and get back into the second round.
5. QUINSHON JUDKINS, OHIO STATE
There's a lot to like about Judkins, and he very well could be above Johnson in these rankings. Judkins is a similar size to Johnson at 6-0 and 221 pounds, but he has significantly better foot speed with a 4.48 40-yard dash and is a more explosive athlete. However, he's not quite as polished as a pure runner, which is one of the reasons why I gave Johnson the higher ranking. He's a very good north-to-south runner, but lacks creativity and isn't as good of a playmaker. His pass protection is a bit more refined, but Johnson is the better schematic fit for the Steelers. Either way, the Steelers will be getting great value if they get back into the second round and grab either Johnson or Judkins.
6. DYLAN SAMPSON, TENNESSEE
Sampson is an interesting player in this class. He's a smaller back at 5-8 and 200 pounds. But, for those who remember Reggie Bush's USC days, that was Sampson's favorite player growing up -- and it shows up on tape. He's a dangerous one-cut runner that makes people miss and displays a good amount of patience to set up blocks. He also has surprisingly good run-after-contact ability, but needs to take another step in pass protection and ball security in order to become a true three-down back in the NFL. He's also a better inside zone runner as opposed to outside zone, so I'm curious of the fit.
7. DJ GIDDENS, KANSAS STATE
Giddens is a later Day 2 option at running back, and might be a great pick in the third round. At 6-0 and 212 pounds, Giddens is a big back with 4.43 speed. He has a ton of patience, impressive footwork given his lack of experience and one-cut ability that could step into the Smith's system and thrive. He needs to learn to use his size to his advantage a little more often and really needs to improve in his pass protection, but the traits are very intriguing in the third round.
8. DAMIEN MARTINEZ, MIAMI (FL)
At 6-0 and 217 pounds, Martinez has great size for an NFL running back. Between his time at Miami (FL) and Oregon State, he's experienced in both gap and zone schemes, though he was much more effective in the Hurricanes' downhill, gap system. Martinez can come right in and be an early-down and short-yardage back, but he also has exceptional receiving abilities for a larger back. His pass protection needs a lot of work, but if he can figure that out and develop as a runner, he is more than capable of growing into a legitimate three-down NFL running back.
9. CAM SKATTEBO, ARIZONA STATE
While Skattebo may never be the fastest or most explosive back on an NFL roster, he will challenge every other player on the roster with his tenacity and work ethic. He'll likely start on any team as a complementary piece before earning a larger role, which would fit well in Pittsburgh. Skattebo's elite contact balance is reminiscent of Warren, and he always finds extra yardage through brute force. The concerns with Skattebo are his 822 touches over four college seasons, including 338 touches in his final season with the Sun Devils. That's a lot of mileage for a college running back, and Skattebo runs like he's trying to truck all 11 defenders every time he touches the ball. He could be a very popular player given his running style, but there are legitimate concerns about how well he'll hold up physically at the NFL level.
Harvey is a bit raw, but the traits are enticing. He's a little smaller at 5-8 and 205 pounds, but is also an explosive athlete, earning a 8.48 RAS score. His 4.40 speed is more than noticeable when he's able to get downhill, but needs to work on his vision and conviction when reading defenses. When he makes the right read, he can gain chunks and also make people miss. He profiles as a slasher type in a zone-blocking scheme, and he's already an accomplished receiving option out of the backfield.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
6:55 pm - 04.15.2025DowntownDraft rankings: Top 10 running backs
The Steelers have hosted more running backs than any other position during pre-draft visits. There is a clear priority within the organization, and it just so happens to align with one of the strongest and deepest positions in this year's class.
But, how do these running backs compare to each other? One way is to rank them, though even the top 10 is scratching the surface. The Steelers could very well take one on the third day of the draft and that player become a contributor as a rookie.
These rankings are based on a combination of the player's talent, potential, likelihood of achieving that potential and fit with the Steelers in terms of need and scheme.
1. ASHTON JEANTY, BOISE STATE
Jeanty is far and away the best running back in a very strong class. He checks every single box you should look for in an elite running back in today's NFL, the epitome of a "total-package" player. His footwork is polished, his vision is tremendous, he's explosive, finds extra yards through elite contact balance and he's a threat as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. It's an insult to think he's not worth a first-round pick just because he's a running back. He's an immediate game-changer for the team that drafts him, already a Pro-Bowl talent and even stands a chance of becoming a perennial All-Pro.
2. OMARION HAMPTON, NORTH CAROLINA
One of the most physically-gifted runners in this class, Hampton has the rare blend of being a power back with breakaway speed. And once he puts his foot in the ground and goes, good luck to any defender that tries to stop him. He uses his size and speed to his advantage, creating extra yards through contact and forcing missed tackles. His vision needs improvement and he needs to find more patience in his game to read and react, but those are correctable issues. Well worth a later first-round pick.
For my full draft profile on Hampton, read here.
3. TREVEYON HENDERSON, OHIO STATE
Henderson isn't a small back, but at 5-10 and 202 pounds, he isn't the biggest guy, either. However, he's an explosive athlete. He earned a RAS score of 8.87, highlighted by elite marks in the 40-yard dash (4.43), vertical jump (38 1/2 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches). He displays plenty of patience with a true one-cut ability and likes to get north in a hurry. He's also the most polished pass protector in a deep class of running backs. Because of this, he can come in right now and likely earn third-down reps already, which is a great trait for a young back.
4. KALEB JOHNSON, IOWA
Johnson offers a great blend of size at 6-1, 224 pounds, and the ability to run in a wide zone or outside zone system, making him a great fit for Arthur Smith. His size and underrated game speed makes him an intriguing candidate to pair with Jaylen Warren. He's light on his feet and has tremendous burst once he puts his foot in the ground and goes. Johnson currently projects to be a second-round pick, but the Steelers brought him in for a pre-draft visit, so I'm inclined to believe there's a legitimate effort to try and get back into the second round.
5. QUINSHON JUDKINS, OHIO STATE
There's a lot to like about Judkins, and he very well could be above Johnson in these rankings. Judkins is a similar size to Johnson at 6-0 and 221 pounds, but he has significantly better foot speed with a 4.48 40-yard dash and is a more explosive athlete. However, he's not quite as polished as a pure runner, which is one of the reasons why I gave Johnson the higher ranking. He's a very good north-to-south runner, but lacks creativity and isn't as good of a playmaker. His pass protection is a bit more refined, but Johnson is the better schematic fit for the Steelers. Either way, the Steelers will be getting great value if they get back into the second round and grab either Johnson or Judkins.
6. DYLAN SAMPSON, TENNESSEE
Sampson is an interesting player in this class. He's a smaller back at 5-8 and 200 pounds. But, for those who remember Reggie Bush's USC days, that was Sampson's favorite player growing up -- and it shows up on tape. He's a dangerous one-cut runner that makes people miss and displays a good amount of patience to set up blocks. He also has surprisingly good run-after-contact ability, but needs to take another step in pass protection and ball security in order to become a true three-down back in the NFL. He's also a better inside zone runner as opposed to outside zone, so I'm curious of the fit.
7. DJ GIDDENS, KANSAS STATE
Giddens is a later Day 2 option at running back, and might be a great pick in the third round. At 6-0 and 212 pounds, Giddens is a big back with 4.43 speed. He has a ton of patience, impressive footwork given his lack of experience and one-cut ability that could step into the Smith's system and thrive. He needs to learn to use his size to his advantage a little more often and really needs to improve in his pass protection, but the traits are very intriguing in the third round.
8. DAMIEN MARTINEZ, MIAMI (FL)
At 6-0 and 217 pounds, Martinez has great size for an NFL running back. Between his time at Miami (FL) and Oregon State, he's experienced in both gap and zone schemes, though he was much more effective in the Hurricanes' downhill, gap system. Martinez can come right in and be an early-down and short-yardage back, but he also has exceptional receiving abilities for a larger back. His pass protection needs a lot of work, but if he can figure that out and develop as a runner, he is more than capable of growing into a legitimate three-down NFL running back.
9. CAM SKATTEBO, ARIZONA STATE
While Skattebo may never be the fastest or most explosive back on an NFL roster, he will challenge every other player on the roster with his tenacity and work ethic. He'll likely start on any team as a complementary piece before earning a larger role, which would fit well in Pittsburgh. Skattebo's elite contact balance is reminiscent of Warren, and he always finds extra yardage through brute force. The concerns with Skattebo are his 822 touches over four college seasons, including 338 touches in his final season with the Sun Devils. That's a lot of mileage for a college running back, and Skattebo runs like he's trying to truck all 11 defenders every time he touches the ball. He could be a very popular player given his running style, but there are legitimate concerns about how well he'll hold up physically at the NFL level.
For my full draft profile on Skattebo, read here.
10. RJ HARVEY, UCF
Harvey is a bit raw, but the traits are enticing. He's a little smaller at 5-8 and 205 pounds, but is also an explosive athlete, earning a 8.48 RAS score. His 4.40 speed is more than noticeable when he's able to get downhill, but needs to work on his vision and conviction when reading defenses. When he makes the right read, he can gain chunks and also make people miss. He profiles as a slasher type in a zone-blocking scheme, and he's already an accomplished receiving option out of the backfield.
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