Jaylen Warren promoted to Steelers’ 3rd-down back, plays more snaps than Najee Harris vs. Bills

That Jaylen Warren played more snaps at running back Sunday than Najee Harris is not necessarily a sign Warren is beginning to siphon away Harris’ playing time.

But an unofficial official designation bestowed upon Warren by the coaches is.

Warren’s role is as the Steelers’ third-down back was one few could have predicted when training camp began. An undrafted rookie, Warren had to scale a trio of returning veterans plus a handful of other running backs who shuffled on and off the roster throughout the weeks at Saint Vincent and the preseason.

“I think I got it just because I got more understanding of what to look for before I get out, protections wise, understanding defense,” Warren said of what earned the coaching staff’s trust.

Warren played 38 offensive snaps to Harris’ 37 during the 38-3 loss at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. That won’t happen most weeks and was, in part, because of the blowout nature of the game.

But Warren was coming in on third downs and obvious passing situations even during the first half. And to earn that role, it wasn’t just beating out the likes of Anthony McFarland, Benny Snell, Jeremy McNichols, Mataeo Durant or any of the other running backs the Steelers had during the preseason. He also had to beat out Harris for the role.

The Steelers used Harris (when healthy) on virtually all downs when he was a rookie last season. Under Tomlin, the Steelers similarly relied heavily upon former No. 1 running backs such as James Conner, Le’Veon Bell and Willie Parker.

Part of the shift in philosophy is owed to lessening the load on Harris. But it’s safe to say the Steelers wouldn’t be using Warren instead of Harris for any downs — but, specifically, third-down duties — if they didn’t trust him in such areas as pass protection or being a receiver out of the backfield.

“I improved in those areas a lot,” Warren said, “so I think seeing that, that’s what made me the third-down back.”

It’s not a fair comparison because of a small sample size — the situations in which each is being asked to run and even the foot injury Harris suffered during the preseason that might be lingering — but Warren has better yards-per-carry (3.8-3.2) and yards-per-catch (6.6-4.9) averages. He’s graded better by Pro Football Focus and has better quantitative stats than Harris, too.

Warren won’t completely overtake Harris any time soon, but the Steelers’ trust in him shows he’s progressing as a rookie.

“It makes it easier when you just trust your teammates, practice with them all year,” Warren said, “and then you get on the field it is nothing different from practice. So, I’m just doing what we practice; that’s what I kind of stick to.”

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