As they consider adding a running back from a deep draft class, the Pittsburgh Steelers secured a veteran to a contract for the 2025 season.
Jaylen Warren, who is entering his fourth season, signed his restricted free-agent tender Tuesday, guaranteeing his $5.35 million salary.
The Steelers tendered Warren at the start of free agency. He waited more than a month before signing the deal. Any team that would have tried to sign Warren to a contract would have forfeited a second-round draft pick.
Warren rushed for 511 yards and one touchdown last season, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. He caught 38 passes for 310 yards while serving as a complementary piece to starter Najee Harris. He missed two games early in the season because of a knee injury.
With Harris signing in free agency with the Los Angeles Chargers, Warren could move into a starting role with his number of touches increasing.
Warren has never started a game in three seasons with the Steelers, though he has averaged 4.8 yards per carry and has 127 receptions.
“I certainly feel comfortable with his ability to do so,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday when asked about Warren potentially handling a bigger workload. “He got hampered by injury in 2024. He appears to be ready to answer that. I know he’s really excited about his opportunity. I don’t think that myself or anyone in the organization question his talents in regards to managing, the ability to manage, potentially that role.”
The Steelers added Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, and they had predraft interviews with nine running back prospects. Those visits comprised 30% of the team’s predraft visits.
Lining them up
In addition to visiting with nine running backs, the Steelers hosted eight defensive linemen. That left just 13 slots for players at other positions in the top-30 process.
“I think that’s a credit to how deep those positions are,” general manager Omar Khan said. “For us, it’s important to get to know those guys as much as possible and sort out how we would stack those guys and take those guys.”
Included in the group of defensive linemen who visited UPMC Rooney Sports Complex was Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, who is projected to go in the bottom half of the first round. The Steelers hold the No. 21 overall pick and would like to address an aging defensive line corps.
“This is a deep group in that area, and they come in many different shapes and sizes,” Tomlin said. “I just think that’s a component of it. Some guys are power players who happen to be athletic, if you’re talking about elite interior defense alignment.
“Some guys are oversized athletes, and it’s the same in Sunday ball. Some guys are power players who happen to be athletic. Some are oversized athletes, and often that means they get the job done in different ways.”
While Harmon weighs 313 pounds, he pales in size compared to Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, who weighed 340 pounds last season. Grant, who was not a top-30 visitor, is another first-round possibility.
Grant has the size of a nose tackle but can be used in other techniques, which is useful in today’s NFL.
“I think the nose is a disappearing animal,” Tomlin said, “the way the fullback is a disappearing animal in our game.”
Not getting picky
Khan said there is enough depth to the 2025 class that he wishes he had 50 draft picks. He will enter the process with just six, and he’s not sweating the fact he will be without a second-round selection this year.
That was the cost of doing business to acquire wide receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks.
“I’m so excited that we did that,” Khan said. “Having him here is great. Obviously when you get to the draft, you get excited about a lot of players.”
George Pickens’ contract situation — he is heading into the final year of his rookie deal — doesn’t make it likely that Khan will try to trade him to re-acquire a second-rounder.
“We’re glad we have George and DK here,” he said. “I think they are going to be exciting for everyone to watch.”