The Steelers found a solid replacement for Le’Veon Bell with former 2017 draft choice, James Conner. Here is how I have him ranked among all NFL running backs.
If you have heard me voice my opinions on running backs, then you know that I don’t hold this position very highly. Most running backs truly are a ‘dime-a-dozen’, and they are one position that is completely dependent on the guys in front of them to do their job so that they can be successful. Still, the Steelers got a good one when it comes to James Conner.
Regardless of my views, I took the liberty of comprising a list of the top 32 running backs in the NFL and sorted them by tiers and overall rankings. Here is how I compared James Conner to the rest of the running backs in the NFL:
| Tier 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saquon Barkley | NYG |
| 2 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL |
| 3 | Todd Gurley | LA |
| Tier 2 | ||
| 4 | Alvin Kamara | NO |
| 5 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR |
| 6 | Joe Mixon | CIN |
| 7 | Nick Chubb | CLE |
| 8 | Melvin Gordon | LAC |
| 9 | Le’Veon Bell | NYJ |
| 10 | Phillip Lindsay | DEN |
| 11 | James Conner | PIT |
| 12 | James White | NE |
| 13 | David Johnson | ARI |
| 14 | Aaron Jones | GB |
| 15 | Kareem Hunt | KC |
| 16 | Chris Carson | SEA |
| 17 | Dalvin Cook | MIN |
| 18 | Derrick Henry | TEN |
| 19 | Kerryon Johnson | DET |
| 20 | Matt Breida | SF |
| 21 | Sony Michel | NE |
| 22 | Mark Ingram | NO |
| 23 | Marlon Mack | IND |
| 24 | Devonta Freeman | ATL |
| 25 | Derrius Guice | SF |
| Tier 3 | ||
| 26 | Tevin Coleman | HOU |
| 27 | Peyton Barber | TB |
| 28 | Tarik Cohen | CHI |
| 29 | Rashaad Penny | SEA |
| 30 | Frank Gore | MIA |
| 31 | Adrian Peterson | WAS |
| 32 | Lamar Miller | BAL |
Steelers running back, James Conner, secures my 11th overall spot on this list. The running back out of Pitt has proven capable of doing many different things for the team and has the ability to compete on all three downs.
Conner had 973 rushing yards (4.5 per carry) and 12 touchdowns in 13 games in 2018, and earned Pro Bowl honors last season. Perhaps more importantly, Conner pitched in nearly 500 receiving yards on an impressive 9.0 yards per reception.
Just a few spots ahead of him on the list is former Steeler, Le’Veon Bell. The former All-Pro could take a dip in efficiency playing in New York, and it’s entirely possible that Conner could look like the superior running back this season.
Though running backs need an offensive line and touches to be successful, I elected to divide them into tiers. Barkley, Elliott, and Gurley are do-it-all running backs who are just above the rest.
I really value the receiving ability of players like Kamara and McCaffrey who come in at four and five on my list. Mixon and Chubb are going to be very good NFL running backs for a long time in this league, while Gordon and Bell are well-established runners.
Slotting Conner at 11 overall is reasonable, and a great place for the former 3rd round pick to come in. However, tier 2 and tier 3 (which would essentially go on forever) are massive, and there are many running backs who can do very similar things for your football team if given the chance.
At the end of the day, the Steelers got themselves a very good player in James Conner. Staying healthy will be the biggest concern for the 3rd year running back, but I expect him to compete on every play when he is on the field.