Now that Tyler Allgeier left Atlanta to cash in and compete for a starting job with the Arizona Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons still have a hole to fill behind Bijan Robinson. They don't need a world-beater, all they need is someone to step in in short-yardage situations and complement their star RB.
That someone could be a trusted veteran or a youngster signed in free agency, but a using a Day 3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is also an option. However, there could be reason to believe that the Falcons may consider trading for their new RB2. especially if an exciting option becomes available.
If the Dirty Birds want to take a flier on youth, Pittsburgh Steelers' running back Kaleb Johnson is a possibility. The Steelers signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year deal to replace the departed Kenneth Gainwell, and the tandem of Dowdle and Jaylen Warren will dominate the RB snap share in Pittsburgh.
And having that trusted veteran committee likely means that there isn't a path to playing time for Johnson in Pittsburgh, but he would have a clear role in Atlanta...
Could the Atlanta Falcons be willing to trade draft capital to acquire Kaleb Johnson?
Steelers expert Tommy Jaggi of Still Curtain thinks it's only a matter of time before the 2025 third-round pick is dealt, and sees the Falcons as a potential landing spot. Jaggi even went on to cook up a potential mock trade that would send Johnson to Atlanta, where he would serve as their new RB2.
Jaggi's mock trade is as follows.
Jaggi has Atlanta sending their fourth-round pick at No. 114 to the Steelers in exchange for Johnson, and two sixth-rounders, which are the 214th and 216th overall selections. That's a hefty price for a player who failed to even clear 100 rushing yards on the season and recorded less than 30 touches.
Ian Cunningham has been vocal in his belief in that draft picks are currency, so while the Falcons would add an extra pick from this scenario, this is not the way to do it. They have no first-round pick, so they need as many premium selections to make up for that instead of parting with more capital.
The Falcons only have five picks in 2026 as-is, so while trading for the 22-year-old would be an interesting outcome, this would not be the haul it would take to get it done. There's no world the Steelers actually get a fourth-rounder out of him, they'd be lucky to get any more than a seventh.
Johnson was an All-American and the Big Ten Running Back of the Year in 2024 after a standout season at Iowa, so while there's a lot of untapped potential, Mike Tomlin's refusal to play him amid his nightmare rookie season basically killed any leverage Pittsburgh would have in trade negotiations.
If the Falcons did this trade, they'd pick in the second and third rounds, and then not pick again until the sixth round, where they would have four selections in the final two rounds. I know Cunningham said he wants to add draft capital but not like this. They would be better suited trading someone away.
It would accomplish his goal of both filling a need with a high-upside youngster and adding more draft capital, but given the sheer number of holes on this roster, a deal like this only makes sense if it's for a selection later in the draft. But the idea of Bijan and Johnson as a tandem would be something.