The Pittsburgh Steelers used one of their fifth-round picks to secure a running back, full back, tight end, quarterback and slot receiver.
Jaylen Samuels wasn’t the most intriguing pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but he was certainly the most well-rounded. A former tight end, running back and quarterback has spent time doing it all on a football field.
Now, he comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team searching for depth at more than one offensive position. Samuels may not be in the running for starting quarterback, but his skill set at other positions should leave him learning roles from the backfield, line and slot.
Behind Jessie James and Vance McDonald, Samuels can play tight end in needed situations. With McDonald coming off of a few injuries in 2017, the former NC State Wolfpack is a security blanket incase either of their tight ends finds themselves missing time.
He also adds to the receiving game. Pittsburgh is likely going to re-sign Eli Rogers before the start of the season. Barring no setbacks in his ACL recovery, Rogers is at the top of the list of free agents Pittsburgh wants to bring back.
Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Rogers will be the primary receivers in all sets. But from time to time, Samuels can work his way into a slot role. At 6’0, 225 lbs, Samuels is a big pass catcher who can became a favorite of Ben Roethlisberger’s in the red zone.
And then, there’s running back. Samuels is joining the duo of Le’Veon Bell and James Conner, and turning the backfield into a trio. He’ll get plenty of reps as a receiving back, and a workload running up the middle. Bell is still going to have the bulk of the reps, but with three running backs on the roster, this team should begin spreading out the carries to all three backs.
Running isn’t his most dangerous asset a rusher, though. Pittsburgh loves to use Le’Veon Bell as a quarterback. They’ll line up in the shotgun with Bell and Conner being the only ones in the backfield. Then, Bell can take it up the middle right from the snap.
Samuels can replace Bell in this formation. As the one receiving the snap, Samuels can either run, or pass. A former college trick play quarterback, Samuels brings an arm to Pittsburgh. He’s got plenty of weapons to work with if he does throw, and utilizing some plays to get AB or Smith-Schuster open for Samuels to find will make this offense even more difficult to stop.
He’s a do-it-all back and the most interesting rookie in Pittsburgh. Samuels is going to have a lot of fun in the NFL, doing a lot of different things. Mike Tomlin and Randy Fichtner are going to love finding ways to use their rookie running back in 2018.
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He fills all the voids Pittsburgh had before the draft. Expect him to be all over the field throughout his career as a Steeler. This team loves to confuse defenses, and Samuels is the perfect player to do so. He’s going to be a lot of fun to watch in the NFL.