Steelers draft superlatives for an intriguing rookie class
By Andrew Falce
Most likely to be late to graduation
And the winner of the most likely to be late to graduation, or most likely to bust, is… Anthony McFarland.
McFarland was a pick that puzzled me and still does. While he brings some needed speed to the RB room, he isn’t going to fix the woes that the position has. He isn’t a full-time player, instead being best served to see a few snaps a game as a change of pace option. He doesn’t have the body to carry a full-time load at the position.
Out of all the early-round picks, McFarland is the most likely to disappoint. While I think he will make the roster, he has the worst ceiling out of all the early picks. While adding that level of athleticism is intriguing, the Steelers have spent four consecutive mid-round picks at the position for four years now. RB seemed like a position where they either needed to get there guy or wait until next year.
And for those that tout James Conner’s injury history (something that is a concern), McFarland doesn’t aid in those. If Conner was to go down, it would be Benny Snell replacing him, not McFarland. On top of all of this, he has character concerns on top of this. While he should find a role with the Steelers, he will likely never ascend past that role.