The Pittsburgh Steelers boast a very talented roster heading into 2024, with very few obvious weaknesses on either side of the ball. As the offseason slows down before all 32 teams report for Training Camps in July, the Steelers roster is mostly set, although transactions like trades, extensions, and late Free Agent signings are still on the table.

With the position rooms set for now, I wanted to really dive into each group and talk about one potential “star” and one sleeper to watch for in 2024. Last week we looked at the Quarterback position, but for this edition of Stars and Sleepers, we’ll dive into a talented Running Back room.

ON THE 90-MAN ROSTER:
Najee Harris | Age: 26| Exp: 4 yrs
Jaylen Warren | Age: 25 | Exp: 3 yrs
Cordarrelle Patterson | Age: 33 | Exp: 12 yrs
Daijun Edwards | Age: 23 | Exp: Rookie
La’Michael Perine | Age: 26 | Exp: 3 yrs
Jonathan Ward | Age: 26 | Exp: 5
Aaron Shampklin | Age: 24 | Exp: 1

POTENTIAL STAR: JAYLEN WARREN

I don’t want to dismiss what Najee Harris could be for the Steelers in 2024, and he is indeed their top back as it stands today and will be a big reason this offense succeeds or fails in 2024. Jaylen Warren, though, is trending in a fantastic direction not only as a player, but also in his opportunity to establish himself as an indispensable part of the Steelers offense. With Harris’ contract situation in limbo, Warren could find himself the apple of the Steelers’ eye as their RB of the future with a really good 3rd season. I expect Warren to continue to show his explosiveness as both a runner and a passer, where he should get more looks this year under new OC Arthur Smith. Smith famously loves to run the football and get his backs involved in the passing game. Combine that with new QB Russell Wilson’s penchant for checking the ball down when the situation calls for it, and Warren looks like a lock as one of the Steelers top playmaking options for this season.

SLEEPER: DAIJUN EDWARDS

Edwards has flashed already at Rookie Minicamp and OTAs, where he looks naturally explosive and athletic in drills. The Steelers will likely be looking hard at the group of practice squad candidates at this position due to the uncertainty of Najee Harris’ future, and if Edwards can stand out from the crowd as a guy with real skill, it could give him a leg up in the competition for 1st of the bench behind Najee and Jaylen. I know Cordarrelle Patterson is technically a RB on the roster, but I expect him to be more of a gimmicky weapon and return man than a true 3rd RB, giving Edward’s a chance to slide in as the more traditional RB3 for this season if he earns a spot on the 53-man roster. If the UDFA from Georgia continues to show off his skillset at Training Camp, it will be hard for the Steelers to let him go.