Rookie minicamp is a lot like the first day of school. Everything is fresh, new and exciting, and it's hard to find a player that doesn't have a smile on his face.

That being said, Kaleb Johnson might have been the most excited.

"I'm in love with it," Johnson said following today's walkthrough at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "Especially with Coach (Mike) Tomlin, especially (Danny Smith). I really love it here. I can't wait to play on Sundays with these guys and just overall compete. That's the main thing right now. Compete, learn the playbook and get ready for Sundays."

The Steelers are just as excited to have Johnson. He fell into their lap at 83rd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, much later than expected by most draft evaluators.

At the outset, it seems like a match made in heaven. The Steelers moved on from Najee Harris and needed to add to the running back room. Johnson was a high-volume, versatile running back at Iowa that fits well with the way the Steelers want to run the football. Though he just arrived yesterday, Johnson already sees potential for him in Pittsburgh.

"It's a great fit," Johnson said. "Learning from Coach (Eddie) Faulkner, he's one of the greats. As far as (Jaylen) Warren, Najee (Harris) being here, Le'Veon (Bell), all those guys coming here and being successful. Najee had 1,000 yards for four years. That just doesn't happen for no reason. I feel like at the next level, I want to come in and get more. I want to be rookie of the year. That's my main thing. Winning Super Bowls, rookie of the year, All-Pro, I want to do all of that. I feel like they can best support me here. I can get here and I can do it."

Those are some lofty goals for Johnson. It's not out of the realm of possibility. This is a guy who led the Big Ten last season with 1,537 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, all while averaging 6.4 yards per carry against more loaded boxes than any other running back in the FBS.

Johnson's running style also fits very well within Arthur Smith's preferred wide zone system, thanks to exceptional vision, burst and one-cut ability. But, it takes a lot more than an on-paper fit to make things work at the NFL level.

The first thing for Johnson is giving himself the best chance to be available on all three downs. Being on the field on third downs means needing the ability to be an effective blocker in pass protection.

When I asked Johnson what he needs to work on to prepare for the season, I didn't even get the chance to finish my question:

"Pass blocking," he said. "Pass blocking that's my main thing. That's what I want to work on. I'm going to work on it every day. After practice, just going over there with the bag right there and hitting it with Coach Faulkner. Just learning, and learning from Warren, too, because he's one of the best dudes in the league right now. I told him let's do it. Let's work after every practice and do it. He's with it, and I'm down to go."

That interaction is what makes rookie minicamp fun. Just bringing stuff up like the upcoming backs on backers drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College, and then seeing the genuine excitement over that.

Johnson does have quite a bit to work on. At Iowa, there wasn't much of a passing game, so getting enough work as a pass protector was hard to come by. And, he won't stand a chance of seeing a crucial third down if he's a liability in that regard, especially since Warren and Kenneth Gainwell are accomplished pass protectors.

It's just the first step for Johnson. But, he understands that it's just one of many steps to get to where he wants to be.

"Learning the playbook, learning the atmosphere and knowing what you need to do to stay on the field," Johnson said. "That's my main thing right now, stay on the field for every down and show coach that I can be an every-down back."