A weekly feature with Steelers Contributing Writer/Editor Brian Batko's thoughts, analysis and commentary on the Steelers. Four downs' worth of insight, and always going for it: no punting allowed.
First down: Put him in the discussion. It's probably time to start having the conversation of whether Jaylen Warren is a top 10 running back in the NFL.
Don't look now, but Warren leads all players at his position (with more than 15 carries plus receptions) in yards per touch. Warren is averaging 6.6 yards each time he gets the ball in his hands, which includes 55 rushes and 13 receptions through four games.
Yes there's a clear top tier in today's NFL. Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor are well-established featured backs. Kenneth Walker III seemingly hasn't been tackled since before the Super Bowl. They were all drafted in the first or second round.
But the little undrafted engine that could, Warren has to be knocking on that door with his torrid start to the 2026 campaign, and particularly with what he's done the past two weeks with Rico Dowdle inactive. Rams running back Kyren Williams is second behind Warren among running backs with more than 15 touches, averaging 6.5 yards on 49.
Warren's efficiency speaks for itself, and yet he's shown he can hold up as a 5-foot-8, 215-pound workhorse despite his size. He had 176 yards from scrimmage against Cincinnati and 126 against Cleveland, by far the most in his career in a two-game span.
"Jaylen, I think, is one of the most underrated players in the National Football League," said wide receiver Ben Skowronek. "He's going to keep going. He's the type of guy you just want to finish blocks for. The way he practices, the way he plays, he just does it the right way."
Second down: Watt's pretty good, too. The NFL has 10 primary stat categories for defensive players.
That's solo tackles, assisted tackles, combined tackles, sacks, tackles for loss, quarterback hits, interceptions, passes defended, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. Only two players have a tally in each column already, and they're both former Badgers linebackers: T.J. Watt and Minnesota's Andrew Van Ginkel.
Watt would probably say he couldn't care less about his statistics, but it's a black-and-white indication of how he impacts black-and-gold games. Of course, Watt also has a pick-six to his name this season, so what else is there? Maybe a fumble return touchdown or a safety.
He stuffed the box score again in a loss Thursday night, with a sack and a forced fumble that he pounced on himself to hit for the cycle in the season-long stat log. But his most impressive moment against the Browns might've been what was scored as a pass breakup. Watt stopped mid-rush, spun back over his left shoulder, sensed a throw coming from Deshaun Watson and knocked the ball out of the hands of running back Quinshon Judkins to force a third-down incompletion.
At this point, it's not surprising to see Watt make a play like that. It's actually more surprising that he didn't somehow manage to pop the ball up to himself and pick it off.
Third down: Help on the way? Steelers safety DeShon Elliott famously respects the logo, which he literally pointed out the day he officially signed as a free agent in 2024. And he could be ready soon to bring his hard-hitting mentality to the fold in the secondary.
That would be a welcome sight after Thursday night. Not that rookie Robert Spears-Jennings played poorly, but Elliott is a heart-and-soul player who has a lot of reps under his belt and still has plenty to give. Elliott, 29, started the regular season on injured reserve with a designation to return, and is eligible now that he has missed four games.
It was only two seasons ago Elliott racked up 108 tackles, two-thirds of them solo, and four tackles for loss. On top of that he had an interception, six passes defended, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. Elliott was producing last year, too, with another pick, a sack and a forced fumble in just five games before a season-ending injury.
Elliott has been working toward getting 100% healthy since the preseason. Hopefully, when he is back, he'll hit the ground running.
Fourth down: Time for a change. The Steelers traded cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to the Cowboys a couple days ago for a second-round pick in 2028 and a sixth-round pick in 2027. It's a change of scenery for both sides, and sometimes that's the best off-ramp for any number of reasons.
Porter was in the final year of his contract, which always brings about deadlines for action and negotiations. The Steelers stockpiled depth at his position in the meantime, in both the experienced and ascending department. Asante Samuel Jr. turned out to be a prescient veteran re-signing, while Daylen Everette was a relatively under-the-radar third-round draft pick out of Georgia but a good value nonetheless.
It's not easy to acquire second-round draft choices in the NFL, let alone first-rounders. The 2028 draft is two years away, but an asset is an asset, and the Steelers front office will continue to scour the college ranks for a quarterback of the future (with two candidates already on the roster).
That Porter landed here in the first place to walk a few years in his father's shoes was a fantastic story. When it became clear Wednesday he was going to be inactive again Thursday in Cleveland, it was time for a fresh start. The Steelers are moving on, Porter is moving on, and both parties can have success under that arrangement.
