Jaylen Warren. That’s the answer to the question. But as almost anyone who follows the NFL knows this years running back draft class is the best we’ve seen, with whispers of having potential of the 2017 class (McCaffrey, Kamara, Mixon, Ekeler, etc). In terms of doing good business and planning ahead it does make sense for the Steelers to draft one in this deep class, but not in the first three rounds. Based off their current running back draft visits (Sampson, Tuten, Gordon, Blue, Johnson) it seems they’re leaning toward a day three choice which I’d be okay with, but the guy in the building is too talented to waste another high-end pick on a running back.

Jaylen Warren is the best running back the Steelers have had since LeVeon Bell. Yes, better than James Conner. Conner was great don’t get me wrong, but he was surrounded by talent at QB, WR, and a great offensive line which opened up things for him a lot. Jaylen Warren on the other hand has dealt with the QB/OC/O-line misery of the last three years and has been our most explosive offensive weapon outside of George Pickens. He’s so fun to watch play at all three phases of the position, and plays harder than anyone on the field. The amount of times I’ve screamed at the TV to get Najee out and put him in is countless, and I’m so excited and hopeful that he gets the full starter workload this year. Let’s break down the stats and film that support why Warren should be RB1 in Pittsburgh this year.

Numbers Breakdown

With limited opportunity his rookie year I’m only going to include the last two seasons of work. And in those two years it’s very easy to tell Jaylen Warren was not as good in 2024 as he was in 2023. Even still, 2023 can’t be forgotten about. He averaged a whopping 5.3 yards per carry (4th in the league) on 149 attempts, with 370 yards receiving on 61 catches. Even more impressive, Warren led the league in missed forced tackles per touch in 2023 (0.35). Warren was also 7th in yards from scrimmage per touch, 5th in yards per contact per touch, and 7th in explosive play rate, per Fantasy Points Data (of RBs who had at least 100 touches). Obviously he had much less opportunity than some of the top guys, but doing that in such an abysmal offense isn’t talked about enough. That same year he also had the longest run (73 yards) the Steelers have had since Bell in 2014, and the longest touchdown run since Willie Parker in the Super Bowl. Big plays like that have been slim to none since Antonio Brown’s departure, and having a guy on the field that can do that is crucial for this team.

Warren took a slight step back in 2024, averaging a full yard per carry less at 4.3, but a lot of that can be attributed to him not being fully healthy. He battled an injury in training camp and you could tell he wasn’t 100% for a while, and then missed two games midseason because of back injury. Even so he averaged 8.2 yards per catch last year, received a 70.4 receiving grade, and was still 16th in the NFL in yards after contact per attempt. He averaged more per carry than Najee both years behind the same offensive line, and remains the most underrated pass blocker at the position in the NFL. If you’re thinking “well it’s year four, he’s going to slow down” – I’d completely disagree. He’s still only 26 which is way before the running back cliff, and hasn’t had more than 210 touches in any season (for comparison, Saquon Barkley had 378 touches at 27 years old last year). Obviously he’s not Saquon, but the point is he doesn’t have a ton of wear and tear and hasn’t gotten the chance to display his ability to the fullest extent. Anyone whose watched the Steelers week in and week out the last two years knows the offense looks better with him on the field, and now let’s break down how he actually does it.

Film Breakdown

2023

I’ll start off the 2023 tape with one of, it not Warren’s best game from that year, Week 17 against the Seahawks. The first play is probably my favorite run of his to date and encompasses why I want him to be the RB1. He shows his burst, strength, and pure heart, breaking five (!!!) tackles for a 23 yard gain. Absolutely incredible run, gets me fired up just watching it.

Next from the same game is an 11 yard run, but is something we see from great running backs – making a guy miss in the backfield and having the speed to get outside to make something out of nothing. The Steelers simply did not get this out of Najee.

Next play Week 10 against the Packers, I’m highlighting this one because it’s the dreaded 4th & 1 the Steelers struggle with so mightily (and of course 3rd & 1). Warren displays the speed to get the edge, hits a decisive cutback to get up field for the first, while also breaking a tackle to get 8 yards out of it. Najee probably gets the first here, but that’s about it.

Also vs the Packers, Warren again breaks a tackle at the line of scrimmage, explodes through the hole, and then carries two guys almost 10 yards. This play put the Steelers in field goal range to make it a two-score game, and timely big runs like this they could use a lot more of.

And finally who could forget Warren’s put-the-team-on-the-back stretch in the fourth quarter against their win against the Ravens. In a game where the Steelers had absolutely zero offense throughout, Warren decided to do it himself late to get the Steelers into scoring position. Below are the first two plays, the first a catch where he makes the first guy miss to pick up a first down and then again displays his unwillingness to go down on his way to a 23 yard gain. The second play he gets the ball on the outside, hurdles a man, and then plays through a facemask to get another first down. Watching these two plays back gets me amped up and shows how elite of a running back Warren can be.

The last play of the three Warren went for 16 yards, but for once it was actually blocked excellently so that one goes to the o-line. Speaking of blocks, I’ll throw in a 2023 bonus play – Warren’s absolute pancake block vs the Bengals. As picture perfect as it gets, you would’ve thought Warren was a fullback on this play.

2024

As mentioned earlier, the explosive plays in 2024 are a bit harder to come by as Warren played through injury much of the season. That alone shows how tough a football player he is, and while hurt still showed more than enough to have confidence in him being the guy in 2025.

Warren missed Week’s 4 and 5, and after returning in Week 6 he started to look at bit like himself again. The play below is one of my favorite Warren plays of this past season – maybe I’m bias because I was in the building, but this is a prime example of how he can turn something into nothing with this athleticism. This catch was on a 3rd & 8 and looked like it was going no where, but Warren stops on a dime and makes two guys look silly on his way to picking up the first.

The Giants game was another good example, especially the next play that sticks with the theme of this article – making the first man miss to get the first down. Making these plays is crucial to keep drives going, and here Warren does it on a flare out catch on 3rd and 12.

Here’s an example of Warren’s patience, vision, and burst against the Commanders. Washington does a good job of stringing the run out, but Warren waits until the cutback lane opens, puts his foot in the ground, and explodes up field for a big gain.

Warren is arguably at his best when he gets into space, and here the Steelers actually do a good job of doing so on a screen play vs the Bengals. You can see Warren’s straight line speed after he waits for the blocks to form, then breaking an arm tackle and fighting for extra yards to pick up nearly 30.

Maybe Warren’s consistent extra effort is why I love him so much, but here’s another example of that and him in space. He gets another designed screen, makes one quick cut, and although he does get tripped up he manages to put his hand down and dive forward for almost 7 extra yards. This may not seem like much, but those extra yards get the Steelers in field goal range, which means even more when they’re playing the Ravens like they were.

One final play against the Browns in the snow I think gets my point across pretty well. There aren’t always going to be open lanes to run through, especially with this offensive line, and Warren shows why he’s still been able to have success. He gets the handoff and there’s immediately a guy right in his face, but he gives a little hesi and a quick cut and the dude is tackling air. Even more impressive that’s it in the snow, but it’s plays like these that make him a difference maker.

These are only some of the plays where he makes the Steelers look like an actual offense, and I could probably add another ten or more just of him upending someone in pass pro.

To reiterate though, the Steelers drafting a running back is a good idea in terms of business (Warren will be a free agent next year and rookies are cheaper) and on the field. Specifically because of the guys they seem to be targeting have what the offense needs – speed. Bayshul Tuten (4.32), Jaydon Blue (4.38), and Dylan Sampson (4.42) all showed impressive 40’s at the combine/pro day, with Tuten and Blue running the two fastest times at the combine. I am all for adding a blazer that you can give a few touches a game to hopefully spring a big play and help in the return game. Ollie Gordon and Kaleb Johnson are on the bigger/slower side so I wouldn’t understand or like that move very much, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens on draft night.

You also can’t forget about Kenneth Gainwell. Whenever he’s had opportunity in Philly over the last few years he’s taken advantage and is a really good pass catcher like Warren. If Rodgers does end up being the QB we know he likes guys he can trust, and Warren and Gainwell are the best guys for that, not a rookie. The Steelers also have historically brought along their rookie running backs slowly, so even if one is drafted I’ll predict that Warren’s play up to that point will rule out him losing his job to a new guy. Throwing positions and side of the ball out of the window, there aren’t many better genuine football players on the Steelers right now than Warren, and he more than deserves the opportunity be their number one guy.