Jaylen Samuels could be a Swiss Army knife for the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Jaylen Samuels in the fifth round of the draft in 2018. Why he could be a versatile player on the Steelers offense.

The Steelers may have found a ‘Swiss Army knife’ when they drafted Jaylen Samuels in the 5th round of the 2018 draft. Though he has just one NFL season under his belt, we are beginning to see why he could be so valuable.

We use the phrase ‘Swiss Army knife’ a lot when referring to NFL players. An actual Swiss Army knife is a multi-tool manufactured by Victorinox, and the phrase was supposedly coined by American soldiers after World War II.

In NFL terms, being a ‘Swiss Army knife’ means you are capable of doing many different tasks or playing multiple positions.  That’s exactly what what Jaylen Samuels brings to the table for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Samuels fits the description of an NFL running back. At 5’11 1/2” and 225 pounds, he has a prototype build for today’s feature back. However, if you recall, Samuels was never listed as a running back in college.

Despite his short stature for the position, Jaylen Samuels was listed as a tight end all four years in college. He was North Carolina State’s best player who could line up all over the formation and do a number of things for his team.

Samuels caught 75 balls as a senior for nearly 600 yards and 4 touchdowns. He would finish his college career with 201 receptions for 1,851 yards, and 19 receiving scores. However, Samuels wasn’t restricted to simply catching the ball.

Samuels was a true ‘Swiss Army knife’ for NC State – capable of both catching and running the ball at a high level. On the ground, he compiled over 1,100 yards and 28 touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry in his career.

Samuels’ ability to line up all over the field made him a headache to opposing defenses. He was a true ‘move’ tight end in college, and his coaching staff constantly found ways to get ball in his hands.

I had a 2nd-3rd round grade on the NC State product, so I was ecstatic when the Steelers landed Samuels in the 5th. With year of learning the running back position under his belt, Jaylen Samuels offers up extreme versatility to the Steelers offense.

He can line up at running back, fullback, or tight end for the Steelers and help create confusion for defensive coordinators. The versatility Samuels brings makes him a candidate to see a serious uptick in snaps this season.

Though Samuels is probably never going to be a feature running back for an NFL team, he wins in different ways. He has already proven to be a reliable pass catcher for the Steelers, and Pittsburgh should be working on ways to get their ‘Swiss Army knife’ on the field often in 2019.