Pittsburgh Steelers Meet the Pick: RB Jaylen Samuels
The Pittsburgh Steelers draft strategy was hard to predict this season. One thing was certain in my mind and that was they would take a running back.
The Pittsburgh Steelers running back situation is murky at best. The team has a little under two months to get a deal done with Le’Veon Bell before his tag becomes official.
Bell will be gone after 2018 unless he and the team agree on a deal before the July deadline. This means they need to start thinking about a new plan for life after Bell.
With the draft rich in running backs, it was only a matter of time before the Steelers took one. Who they took, however, was more surprising to me.
The team waited until round five to address the position. With running back being deep, there were still viable options on the table.
The Steelers ultimately chose Jaylen Samuels from North Carolina State. Samuels was not a traditional running back in college in that he played a lot of tight end and h-back type positions.
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Samuels amassed 1851 receiving yards in four years on 201 receptions with 19 touchdowns. He added 1107 yards on 182 carries for 28 touchdowns in four years on the ground.
Samuels college career showcased his versatility as both a pass catcher and a runner. He displayed big play ability with the ball with 7.7 yards per touch and 47 total touchdowns in his career.
He seems to be the type of player that does not do one thing great but does many things very well. The problem with this will be finding his fit on the roster.
Samuels will start at running back and he has the ability to play the position. His 5’11” 228 lb frame can handle NFL life between the tackles.
His receiving ability will also fit right into Pittsburgh’s offensive scheme. Samuels will need to focus on improving his blocking to gain more play time.
If he can improve his blocking, he can be used much like Will Johnson was during his time in Pittsburgh. He can help add a versatile piece to the offense to help hide their attack plans in games.
The Steelers have Bell, James Conner, Stevan Ridley and Fitzgerald Toussaint all on the depth chart so Samuels is likely battling Toussaint and Ridley during camps and preseason.
Pittsburgh needs to see what this guy has quickly to help make a big decision if they do not reach a deal before the current July deadline. If they are in a pinch after 2018, they may decide to throw money at Bell one last time and possibly overpay.
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The Steelers running backs will be fun to watch in the preseason and all of 2018. Samuels will have to work hard and find a way into the fold to show what he has before the team must make their final decision on Bell next offseason.