Grading the Pittsburgh Steelers running back position in 2019

The Steelers have on of the youngest running back groups in the NFL. Here’s how I graded their trio of backs in 2019.

The Steelers have one of the youngest running back groupings in the league, with an average age of 23.7 between their top three backs.

Though there is not a lot of NFL experience between them, James Conner and company held their own last year without Le’Veon Bell. Here’s how I have them graded headed into 2019:

James Conner

James Conner is turning out to be a steal for the Steelers. As a former 3rd round compensatory draft pick, Conner proved his worth and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2018. Despite just starting 12 games a season ago, Conner rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and punched in 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Conner was efficient with the Steelers – averaging 4.5 yards per carry and 9.0 yards per reception. Though he has struggled to stay healthy in each of his first two seasons, he has proven to be a capable replacement after the loss of Le’Veon Bell.

Jaylen Samuels

Samuels was one of my favorite picks in the draft in 2018, and he didn’t disappoint in his rookie season. Though he only had three starts in Conner’s absence, he produced 256 yards on the ground on 4.6 yards per carry.

What’s more impressive is Samuels ability in the passing game. He reeled in an astonishingly high percentage of his targets (89.7%) – catching 26 of 29 passes for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns. He showed up huge against the Patriots, and stands to be a versatile weapon going forward.

Benny Snell Jr.

Benny Snell was a fan favorite draft choice this offseason. The former Kentucky standout shares an extraordinary amount of similarities with James Conner. Both backs are bruisers that have terrific contact balance and excel between the tackles.

Snell provides a potential excellent insurance policy for Conner, and should be able to carve out a decent number of carries as early as the first half of his rookie season.

Running back grade: B-

Though James Conner was a Pro Bowler in 2018, the Steelers are really lacking a ‘home run’ threat at the running back position. The Steelers didn’t run the ball a lot last year, so it’s hard to get a good feel for how good this backfield is.

Despite all of this, Conner is a proven runner early in his career, and both he and Samuels displayed promising ability in the receiving game. Benny Snell is a welcome addition to a team that didn’t have a quality third back. The Steelers will be solid at this position in 2019.