2025 Draft Guide: Pittsburgh Steelers

Coaching History: Last Three Years

Head Coach: Mike Tomlin (PIT ’22-24)
Offensive Coordinator: Arthur Smith (PIT ’24, ATL ’22-23)
2024 Record: 10-7

Team Summary

Tomlin is the epitome of consistency. He has been head coach of the Steelers since 2007 and has never finished with a losing record. The offense has taken a backseat to the defense starting in 2019, so there haven’t been many fantasy football stars recently. However, there are frequently useable pieces scattered about the offense if you know where to look.

Arthur Smith is now in his second year as offensive coordinator. His system will emphasize a zone rushing scheme and filter the passing game through the X WR and TEs. The offseason saw the Steelers prioritize players that fit this system, as they traded for DK Metcalf to fill the X WR role, drafted Kaleb Johnson, one of the best zone rushers in the draft class and traded for TE Jonnu Smith to bolster the TE room.

Play volume is likely to be lower with Rodgers at the helm, but rushing opportunities should be there, and targets should be very consolidated given the lack of proven pass catchers. Expect to see multiple RBs used consistently, Rodgers homing in on his preferred targets, and a lot of ball control offense.

2024 Ranks (2023 Rank)

• Points: 16th (28th)
• Yards: 23rd (25th)
• Passing Attempts: 29th (29th)
• Passing Yards: 27th (25th)
• Passing TDs: 20th (30th)
• Rushing Attempts: 4th (9th)
• Rushing Yards: 11th (13th)
• Rushing TDs: 19th (11th)

2024 Positional Market Share

The Steelers utilized nearly 2:1 rushing split in 2024. Najee Harris worked primarily on early downs, with Jaylen Warren mixing in to keep both players fresh. Warren did have an advantage in 3rd down work, but it was not an exclusive role.

The Arthur Smith offense was filtered through the X WR, the TE, and RBs. Expect that to continue, but with different faces. George Pickens is now in Dallas, with DK Metcalf taking his spot. The Steelers added Jonnu Smith, creating a 3-headed monster at TE (Smith, Freiermuth, Washington). Najee Harris left in Free Agency and the Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson and brought in Kenneth Gainwell.

Depth Chart:

• QB: Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard
• RB: Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell
• WR: DK Metcalf (X), Calvin Austin III (Z/Slot), Roman Wilson (Z), Robert Woods
• TE: Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington

Player Breakdowns

Rodgers is in the twilight of his career, so while he likely won’t be an every-week started unless you are in 2QB leagues, he may be a streaming option in good matchups. Rodgers doesn’t run much anymore, so he won’t add much to his passing total via his legs. However, he does have a tendency to throw the ball near the goal line.

Despite seeing Kaleb Johnson drafted in the 3rd Round of the NFL Draft, Jaylen Warren is set to open the year as the starting RB. While most assume that Johnson will assume Najee Harris’ role as the grinder between the tackles, don’t overlook the possibility that Jaylen Warren leads the RBs in both rushing and receiving. He is on a 1-year “prove it” deal, which means he’ll be motivated to earn another contract for next year, whether that is in Pittsburgh or not. Being drafted as RB30 (behind teammate Kaleb Johnson), feels too low, and he should be prioritized as your RB3 that can produce at an RB2 level.

The rookie out of Iowa found a nearly perfect landing spot with a team that likes to run the ball in a zone running scheme, with multiple TEs on the field. We’ll see if he can take advantage in his first year, or if he’ll need time to produce in the NFL, but the odds are good that we’ll see some highlight runs at some point in the next few years. Johnson seems to be behind both Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell as training camp winds down, but there is still plenty of time for Johnson to work his way up the depth chart as the season progresses. He won’t add much in the passing game, and likely won’t be trusted to pass protect for Aaron Rodgers, so he’ll likely only play on early downs in running situations.

When Gainwell signed with the Steelers, many considered him an afterthought. However, it appears Arthur Smith is not one of those people. Gainwell has flashed at times during his rookie contract with the Philadelphia Eagles but never grew into a larger role. Perhaps a change of scenery was all he needed, even if Pittsburgh isn’t all that far from Philly. Gainwell is a well-rounded back who can contribute both on the ground and in the air, which is likely why the Steelers signed him, as they moved on from Najee Harris.

Metcalf will be the clear top target for his team after sharing the limelight with Tyler Lockett and/or Jaxson Smith-Njigba for years in Seattle. Expect Aaron Rodgers to look his way early and often, although the overall volume for the pass game is likely to be low. Metcalf should have a solid weekly floor, given the makeup of the Steelers’ passing game, but he probably doesn’t possess the ceiling this year in a slower, run-focused attack.

Jonnu Smith was traded from Miami to Pittsburgh this offseason to add another receiving threat to the TE room. Arthur Smith likes to use a lot of multiple TE personnel groupings, so while having competition at your position is never a good thing for fantasy football, Smith and the other TEs should still get plenty of playing time and opportunities. While his reputation is as a run-after-catch monster; Smith’s huge 2024 season was actually the result of higher volume. He was TE4 in YPRR (2.23; minimum 100 routes), but only 15th in YAC/Rec (5.89). We’ll see if that was an issue with Miami’s play calling, or whether Smith is just starting to slow down as he ages.

Freiermuth is another talented TE that the Steelers can rely on. He wasn’t nearly as efficient as newcomer Jonnu Smith; registering only 1.56 YPRR, but Freiermuth is an established Red Zone threat. Freiermuth shouldn’t be relied upon to be a weekly starter at TE, but you can pick your matchups to stream if you need a fill-in.

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