Two Steelers draft picks make NFLPA Rookie Premier

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Get the first look at QB Will Howard and RB Kaleb Johnson in their Steelers uniforms.

Pittsburgh Steelers draft picks Kaleb Johnson and Will Howard were among the 42 rookies invited to the NFL Players Association’s 31st annual Rookie Premier on May 14-17.

Johnson, the Steelers’ third-round pick, was Iowa’s top running back last year, rushing for 1,537 in his final college season. Howard, a quarterback, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after leading his Ohio State Buckeyes to a national title.

The four-day event, which concluded on Saturday, is meant to showcase new NFL stars, selected by the NFLPA for the premier. “It’s the first point of contact to connect directly with professional football’s most promising and marketable young players,” reads the NFLPA website.

Rookies get the chance to participate in photo shoots in their new uniforms, meet with league business partners, and sign autographs. With Panini being one of the event’s sponsors, expect some specialty football cards of both Howard and Johnson to enter circulation following the premier.

The event is just another cog in the NFL media machine, but it does offer an opportunity for rookies to gain experience building their brand ahead of the biggest stage of their careers.

It’s also a chance for fans to see their team’s top rookies in their NFL uniforms for the first time.

Howard and Johnson joined fellow AFC North draftees Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Quinshon Judkins at the premier.

As always, Rookie Premier participants gathered for a group portrait on the last day of the event.

Up next for the Steelers? OTAs starting May 27.