It looked like it'd finally be Jaylen Warren's time to shine.
The Pittsburgh Steelers let Najee Harris leave in free agency to the Chargers. Even the veteran signing of Kenneth Gainwell from the Eagles didn't seem like it'd damper Warren's increased role.
And then the Steelers drafted star Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson.
Now, Pittsburgh may be heading to a running back committee.
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ESPN's Brooke Pryor broke down the split in a new write-up on Thursday:
"Warren has more experience and explosiveness, but Johnson is built like a more durable back. As the veteran, Warren will likely get a heavier workload early and be the starter, but Johnson will be involved plenty if his training camp reps are any indication. Warren likely has the edge on Johnson as a fantasy prospect, though, because of his pass-catching ability. Johnson wasn't asked to do that much at Iowa, and while the rookie has the ability, Warren is more of a known commodity in Arthur Smith's offense."
For Pittsburgh, it's a good problem to have. It's always better to have depth and a variety of skillsets than being stuck in one mold simply because there aren't any other options.
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For any fantasy football players trying to figure out who to draft, though, good luck. It seems like Warren should be explosive yet again, much as he was when he teamed with Harris, but may not see the field enough to be a sure thing every week.
And if Johnson only gets early-down work in what is now a pass-happy league in an offense that is quarterbacked by Aaron Rodgers, he may be effective but probably won't pile up huge numbers, either.
The Steelers have given themselves options, and they may need them all. It's just hard to know at this stage of August how it'll all look in September and beyond.
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