One Steelers sleeper for every position for 2021 camp
By Andrew Falce
Steelers Kalen Ballage
Similar to the quarterbacks, the Steelers aren’t bringing in any notable sleeper running backs. Every back, outside of Najee Harris who is most definitely not a sleeper, is an established veteran and has held down roster spots before. While Anthony McFarland was close to securing this spot, most expect him to have some sort of a role with the team. His roster spot is pretty secure, arguably the most secure out of any of the backups.
This leaves Kalen Ballage as the most intriguing name left for the team heading into camp. While he has great short-yardage value and sneaky athleticism, he has yet to make a huge impact on any team he has been with. That said, the Steelers aren’t looking for a back that can start in every facet. Harris will be the bell cow. This means that a backup would benefit from being role-specific. This plays into Ballage’s strengths, as he was one of the better short-yardage backs in the league last year.
Given his athletic profile, I expect Ballage to make some noise in camp and during the preseason. If the Steelers opt to play Harris sparingly during the preseason, Ballage could be the leading yardage back by the time preseason wraps up. He will be in a tight competition with Benny Snell, and assuming the team doesn’t keep both, it will likely be who shows more this offseason. Ballage has all the traits to succeed in camp and the preseason and ultimately beat out Snell for the final roster spot at running back.