3 Steelers draft prospects who hurt their stock at the NFL Combine weigh-ins

The Steelers are looking to sure up the offensive side of the ball this offseason. Here are three prospects who hurt their stock after weighing in at the NFL Combine.

The Steelers brass is on hand taking notes at the 2020 NFL Combine, and they are looking for players who could give the Steelers a boost in 2020. Ben Roethlisberger is back, but Pittsburgh finished as the 30th ranked offense in the league last season.

With a defense that will likely retain every player outside of Javon Hargrave, the Steelers could be looking for help on offense early. Day two of the NFL Combine weigh-ins took place yesterday with running backs and offensive lineman getting measured before on-field testing this weekend.

While weigh-in numbers are hardly the most important aspect of evaluating a football player, there are a few potential running back prospects who fell short of meeting the threshold Pittsburgh looks for at the position. Here are three players who may have hurt their draft stock with the Steelers:

J.K. Dobbins

J.K. Dobbins isn’t a small football player, but he didn’t come in anywhere near what Pittsburgh usually likes to see in their running backs. Listed at 5’10” and 217 pounds in college, Dobbins checked in at just 5’9 1/2” and 209 pounds.

His size is not concerning for an NFL running back, but when the Steelers are looking for a feature back, they usually go big or go home. Le’Veon Bell weighted in at 230 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2013, and James Conner was even bigger (233 pounds). This could hurt Dobbins’ chances of being drafted to Pittsburgh – assuming he even makes it that far.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Here’s a running back we could tell was small, but I didn’t think he would be this little coming into the Combine. Though his bulk is terrific for his size (207 pounds), LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire checked in at just 5’7 1/4” with 29” arms and a tiny 70 5/8” wingspan.

While a compact build is often good for running backs, it may limit his ability in pass protection and his catch radius as a receiver. Bell, Conner, and Benny Snell each have arms that are at least two inches longer than Edwards Helaire’s. It may not seem like much, but it’s a draft trend for the Steelers.

D’Andre Swift

I like D’Andre Swift’s game, but he doesn’t exactly scream “Steelers running back” when you watch him play. Swift is a good outside runner with some nice wiggle to his game. However, coming into the Combine at 5’8 1/4” and 212 pounds doesn’t exactly bode well for his chances of being selected to Pittsburgh.

Swift also came in with relatively short arms (29 7’8”) and a small wingspan (72”). The Steelers might be able to live with a few of these numbers, but he falls just short of the threshold they look for in nearly every measurement.

I’m not saying that I agree with the way the Steelers do business when it comes to drafting the running back position. And part of the reason they are always lacking speed is because of the type of runners they like to draft. However, based on drafting trends, these three running backs may have hurt their stock with the Steelers early in the draft process.