Steelers Tabbed To Draft Brother Of Former First-Round Running Back

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the early stages of the 2025 offseason, where they have to consider every single option that is presented to them. Which players do they keep, and which ones do they let go? Are guys like George Pickens available for trade? Some of these potential moves might small, like what kind of priority they place on restricted free agent (RFA) Jaylen Warren, who could be a hot commodity if the front office puts a low-price tag on him. They also will look to see who his new partner could be if Najee Harris does indeed move on. 

Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette released his latest mock draft, and it features a familiar last name to pair with Warren.

"Four years ago, the Steelers picked Najee Harris in the first round one spot ahead of Clemson’s Travis Etienne, who arguably has been a better NFL running back when healthy," Batko noted. "At the very least, he’s been more of a home run hitter, which is also what his younger brother (Trevor Etienne) has been both at Florida and Georgia. Now the Steelers can go to the same gene pool for a ball carrier who had the fastest recorded time at his position on the first day of Senior Bowl practices. 

Batko has the Steelers taking running back Trevor Etienne from the Georgia Bulldogs with a fourth-round pick. He has not been much of a featured back during his college career, but when he does get the ball in his hands, he can be very explosive. The Steelers have lacked a big-play back like that for a long time now. Batko continued with his analysis. 

"A bigger back to pair with Jaylen Warren might be preferable, but Etienne has a quick first step and good long speed for an offense that needs more of it. Maybe Warren can become more of the grinder Harris was."

The Steelers would lose some power overall, as Harris was the primary power back, but Etienne's a 5'9" speedster. However, despite being shorter, Warren has shown plenty of ability to run over people. He is commonly referred to as a "human bowling ball" as he will run over all kinds of tacklers despite potentially being the smallest guy on the field. 

Etienne and Warren could make a very explosive duo. If the Steelers end up re-signing quarterback Justin Fields, that will just add another dimension to the rushing attack that the Steelers pride themselves on. The best part is that this would be just a mid-round pick, so it's not like the Steelers are passing up on other needs just to find a running back.

Batko also addressed the irony of this pick early on, as Travis Etienne was drafted one pick behind Harris, who will likely be leaving the team in free agency. Now, his brother is seen as Harris' potential replacement. If Trevor is anything like his brother, this could turn into a massive steal for the Steelers.

Steelers' Other Running Back Options

The 2025 free agency class has a lot of talent at the running back position, but there are also a lot of concerns. JK Dobbins and Jordan Mason are both high-risk, high-reward options, but after the recent success of free agent running backs, who knows what they could command on the open market? 

The Steelers have also been enamored by the talents of a former division rival, Nick Chubb. While that may not be the greatest idea, Pittsburgh could try to sign him as a depth piece to add a little more power to the running back room, even if the front office chooses to draft someone like Etienne. Either way, the 2025 draft class is full of potential stud backs, so the Steelers could wait for a guy like Trevor to fall into their laps in the middle or late rounds. 

What do you think about the Steelers potentially drafting Etienne to replace Harris? Let us know in the comments.

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