The Steelers took a chance on Jaylen Warren as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and he quickly showed flashes of the same upside he displayed in his final season at Oklahoma State (256/1,216/11 with 25 receptions for 225 yards).
His rookie year started slow, but he popped against the Bills with 63 yards and four catches before carving out a bigger role. By season’s end, Warren was handling meaningful touches (35/173/1 with eight grabs for 47 yards over the final four games) and playing nearly 30% of the snaps behind Najee Harris.
In 2023, Warren’s explosiveness was hard not to notice. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry (149/784/4), ripped off six runs of 20+ yards, and became a reliable safety valve in the passing game (61/370). His best fantasy moment came in Week 11 with a 142-yard, one-touchdown performance. From Weeks 14–18, Warren became a PPR machine, catching at least four passes in every game while seeing his snap share climb to 48%.
Last year, a knee injury slowed his early production, but he bounced back down the stretch. He scored double-digit fantasy points in six of his final nine games, highlighted by a season-high 17 touches in Week 16. Despite steady usage, Warren has only six touchdowns across 48 career games, keeping his ceiling in check. However, he has a reliable floor and an increase in touchdowns isn’t out of the realm of possibilities in 2025.
Warren’s pass-catching ability gives him a steady weekly floor, but goal-line work will likely belong to others in Pittsburgh’s backfield, probably Kaleb Johnson. Warren is shaping up as a mid-range RB3 in drafts, though he has the potential to be a weekly starter as a Flex option. With Aaron Rodgers now under center, the Steelers’ offense should sustain more drives, which could mean more targets and sneaky PPR value for Warren.
Warren is currently the RB28 in PPR formats, while falling to the RB31 in Non-PPR leagues.
Pittsburgh still isn’t going to light up the scoreboard, but with Rodgers under center, things get interesting. Rodgers is arguably the least mobile quarterback in the NFL, and when the pocket collapses, you better believe he’ll be looking for a reliable safety valve. That’s where Warren comes in.
Yes, Johnson is expected to serve the early-down role that Najee Harris held down for the past few years, but Rodgers has always preferred backs he trusts in pass protection and as quick outlets. Warren checks both boxes, and that gives him a real shot at a healthy snap percentage while racking up a ton of receptions. As the 30th running back selected in drafts, Warren screams value play in PPR formats. If Johnson struggles out of the gate in his rookie campaign, Warren could end up being more than just a Flex—he has legit RB2 upside, especially given Pittsburgh’s lack of reliable pass catchers outside of DK Metcalf.
