The Pittsburgh Steelers desperately need to beef up their offense during the 2025 offseason after the team sorely lacked playmakers on that side of the ball in 2024.

Of course, the top priority is figuring out who will be the starting quarterback, whether that be Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, or another veteran. But the Steelers can’t expect to take a step forward on offense if they don’t add more playmakers.

With that in mind, a new mock draft from The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs predicts that the Steelers will draft Boise State superstar running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“The Steelers’ DNA is well established,” Crabbs wrote. “The team embraces a physical brand of football, and under Mike Tomlin, they will want to play smash-mouth football and run the ball. Najee Harris is set to hit free agency this offseason after four years and nearly 1,300 touches from scrimmage. Re-signing him would not be a bad idea, but spending on a running back is always controversial.

“Instead, Pittsburgh could take advantage of the slide experienced by Ashton Jeanty here to get a fresh workhorse behind their revamped offensive line courtesy of recent draft classes,” Crabbs concluded.

When it comes to Harris, the Steelers are likely to let him walk in free agency after declining his fifth-year option last year. Harris is a solid running back but isn’t good enough to warrant the Steelers paying him significant money.

Jeanty had a monster final season in college, with the Boise State back tallying an eye-popping 2,601 rushing yards and 29 scores. He is widely considered the top running back in this year’s class.

Whether or not the Steelers would spend their first-round pick on a running back remains to be seen, but with head coach Mike Tomlin at the helm, it’s possible.

Jeanty is exactly the kind of powerful and explosive playmaker the Steelers’ offense needs. On top of his home-run ability, Jeanty can make a huge impact as a pass-catcher and is a strong pass protector, which makes him a three-down option.

If Jeanty does slide to the Steelers’ spot, Pittsburgh would be hard-pressed to pass up on a player who could be a huge difference-maker for an offense that badly needs one.