Jaylen Warren

Despite an unremarkable collegiate career and average athletic testing, Warren made a quick impression on the Steelers after they signed him as an undrafted free agent last spring. Warren not only earned a roster spot, but he swiftly jumped ahead of a pair of fourth-round picks from previous drafts (Anthony McFarland and Benny Snell) on the Pittsburgh depth chart, becoming the backup to Najee Harris and playing off the bench in mostly passing situations. He's stocky -- 5-8, 215 -- and his low center of gravity pairs well with reliable hands to pose a nuisance to defenses on checkdown throws. Warren is a valuable complementary piece for Pittsburgh, but he's unlikely to scale up as a starter because he's average as a runner. Warren struggled to average 5.0 YPC in college, and his 4.9 YPC from 2022 was largely a product of the Steelers limiting his carries to low-stakes situations or snaps where the defense was sitting on the pass. He's a threat to poach a large share of the RB targets, but taking more than a handful of carries per week from a healthy Harris is less likely.

Warren had a limited impact over his first two collegiate seasons but rushed 256 times for 1,216 yards and 11 touchdowns while securing 25 of 34 targets for 225 yards during his final season at Oklahoma State in 2021. His efforts weren't enough for him to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he joined the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in May and made a strong impact during the team's offseason program. The 23-year-old carved out work during the preseason and ultimately secured a spot on Pittsburgh's 53-man roster. Najee Harris established himself as the Steelers' clear lead back as a rookie in 2021, which didn't leave much work for any of the team's depth running backs. However, the team has expressed a desire to reduce Harris' snap count slightly during his sophomore season. Even if Warren struggles to find standalone value when Harris is healthy, the Oklahoma State product should begin the season as the Steelers' No. 2 running back and could see the bulk of the touches out of the backfield if Harris is forced to miss any time in 2022.