7 former Steelers draft picks in danger of missing the 53-man roster

Anthony McFarland isn’t a Steelers lock

The Steelers running back room is both one of the strongest positions on the roster as well as one of the shallowest. Najee Harris should have a career season behind his best offensive line, and Jaylen Warren proved to be an effective runner last year as the top backup. Both should be fixtures in this run-heavy offense.

The issue is, the third running back spot is wide open. On paper, that seems trivial, as a third running back shouldn’t see a lot of offensive snaps and should only be a special team’s option. For an offense that is being built around the run though, being three deep will be a necessity, as an injury to either Warren or Harris could hamper the offense.

That is where McFarland comes in. A former fourth-round pick, McFarland was never projected as a primary starter but has the speed of a great change-of-pace option. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to put everything together. He has some flashes, but the end results have been poor.

In theory, McFarland would be a great third option, as his speed could be a huge asset for this team. His lack of proven talent and the fact he didn’t even make the roster last year make him more of a question mark. While he is the current favorite to occupy that role, he is far from a roster lock for this offense heading into training camp.