2018 Pittsburgh Steelers positional review: QB, RB and WR

Running backs

The biggest story out of the Steelers running back room was Le’Veon Bell and when he was going to show up. Eventually that story turned into if he would even show up and finally it came to reports about the impact of him really not showing up to the team. All the while, James Conner had stepped up huge for Pittsburgh.

Conner burst on the scene when he stepped into the starting role during Bell’s eventual permanent absence. Conner ran all the way to a tie for 11th most on the list to end the 2018 season with 973 yards on 215 carries and 12 touchdowns in just 13 games.

He suffered an injury against the Chargers and would then miss the next three games before returning week 17. Fear not, for Jaylen Samuels stepped in to help out in a big game.

The Steelers faced New England down to starting their third string running back in a must win game. Samuels exploded for 142 yards on 19 carries helping the team win a crucial game at the time.

The Steelers may try one last time to secure Le’Veon Bell but it looks like his time here is done. They saw a lot from Conner and Samuels to show they are capable of being their top two backs moving forward. The team will likely look to upgrade the depth as Stevan Ridley is not a long-term answer and that could be done in free agency or in the later rounds of the 2019 draft.