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Why the Steelers Should and Will Draft a Running Back in Round 1

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The Pittsburgh Steelers running game is in need of a serious makeover. The Steelers have finished last or second to last in rushing yards per game the last two seasons and have ranked in the bottom 10 every year since 2017. Not all of that can be blamed on one specific player or position, but the quickest way to immediately improve the running game is to obtain a difference making player at the running back position.

The Steelers decided to part ways with hometown hero James Conner this offseason and their running back depth chart is very questionable to say the least. Benny Snell, a third-round draft pick in 2019, has shown flashes of being a solid running back, but his career average of 3.6 yards per rush isn’t going to create much excitement among the Steelers coaching staff or fan base. Anthony McFarland was a fourth-round draft pick in the 2020 draft, but his size and vision have shown to be serious limitations so far in the NFL. Jaylen Samuels and Kalen Ballage are also on the roster, but neither will fit the role of a difference maker at running back and one will likely not even make the roster in 2021.






So, what are the Steelers options to immediately improve the run game? Well, their salary cap situation and an underwhelming free agent class restricted their options in bringing in an already established NFL running back. Former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is still out on the free agent market, but his game has significantly diminished and his soured relationship with management makes the situation far from reality. Their last choice, and more than likely their first choice after not resigning Conner, is to draft a difference making running back in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Among most draft experts, there are three running backs who will make an immediate impact at the next level: Najee Harris, Travis Etienne and Javonte Williams. After the top three are off the board, there aren’t a lot of players left that can step in Week 1 and significantly improve a team’s running game. Each of the top three runners have varying styles, but all three are exactly what the Steelers need in the backfield – a game changer who can seriously impact the results of a contest.






Many struggle to find the justification of taking a running back in round one. Yes, every draft there are runners that are picked on day two or day three that make Pro Bowls and even become All-Pro players in the league. However, this draft class is not as deep as most and the Steelers can’t afford to take a flyer on a mid-round pick based on the state of their running back depth. Below are a couple advantages to taking a running back in round one:

  1. Team control for at least five years. After drafting a player in the first round, a team has the option to flex a fifth-year option on that player before they can enter into free agency. The fifth-year option does not come as cheap as their rookie contracts, but they are significantly cheaper than a brand new contract that will likely include a hefty signing bonus. Teams are also able to place the franchise tag on a player as well before offering them a long-term extension which could keep the first round pick in black and gold for an additional one to two years (i.e. Bud Dupree). This could allow the Steelers to potentially keep their first round pick in Pittsburgh for 6-7 years without committing to a long-term contract.
  2. You are getting a player who can step in right away and play. This is not necessarily the case for every first round selection, but running backs are a bit different. The transition for running backs is simpler from college to the NFL which allows most first round picks to become a team’s primary runner during their rookie season. There are obviously outliers, especially for players that get injured in the preseason, but most first round rookie running backs are able to step in Week 1 and make an immediate impact.



Yes, this team has many holes they need to fill, but other positions such as offensive lineman are much deeper in terms of talent. If the Steelers miss out on a running back in round one, then it’s almost a guarantee the three primary backs will be gone by the time they get to pick in round 2. However, there are linemen that will be available in rounds 2 and 3 that can come in and compete for a starting position this season. Overall, the quickest way this running game turns around is to select Harris, Etienne or Williams with pick 24.



Who do you want the Steelers to choose in the first round? Sound off in the comments below!

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MT~Forged

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Just say NO to a RB in the 1st. RB’s have a short life span in the NFL, but OL can play for years. Good OL can make an average RB look good. The opposite can not be said about an average OL. ignore the OL and we will be having this same discussion next year.
 

TDX27

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Najee Harris if he's there. Keep him for 5 years and let someone else give him the big money at age 29. If he's not there, go Etienne and have a speedster in the backfield.
 

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The Steelers have no RB's. We should draft one in the first round. The value of the position is to longer carrying the rock 25 times a game, it's how much yardage you can get from them.
 

slashsteel

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The Steelers have no RB's. We should draft one in the first round. The value of the position is to longer carrying the rock 25 times a game, it's how much yardage you can get from them.
Looks like another perfect spot for a pure genius commercial.
 

matarndt

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The Pittsburgh Steelers running game is in need of a serious makeover. The Steelers have finished last or second to last in rushing yards per game the last two seasons and have ranked in the bottom 10 every year since 2017. Not all of that can be blamed on one specific player or position, but the quickest way to immediately improve the running game is to obtain a difference making player at the running back center position.
 

bermudasteel

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I'm not changing my view/wish - take one of the top 3 RB's (preferably Harris) at 1.24 and trade back up to get our C in the 2nd...
 

bigben

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A top RB can make an average line look good,
Leveon Bell
We saw what they were when he left, bottom feeders
 

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Najee Harris if he's there. Keep him for 5 years and let someone else give him the big money at age 29. If he's not there, go Etienne and have a speedster in the backfield.

Eittene is a star to me. Never hurt, legit 4.4 speed with top acceleration. Did it behind a mediocre Clemson line. Has 55 plays of 20 yards or more!

Oh what a weapon on screens, play action, draws, pitch outs or wheels routes, which the Steelers in many cases do not call. Probably a dangerous counter running play guy too. If I had to compare him to a former player I'd say Fred Taylor. He'll burn the front seven and have the defense respecting that speed. Can our new OC use him correctly?

I don't care if a back can carry it 25 times a game, I care about what he does when he gets the ball via pass or run.
 

Coach

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I'm not changing my view/wish - take one of the top 3 RB's (preferably Harris) at 1.24 and trade back up to get our C in the 2nd...
I'll endorse this. Plenty of good centers in round two.
 

MT~Forged

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The Steelers have no RB's. We should draft one in the first round. The value of the position is to longer carrying the rock 25 times a game, it's how much yardage you can get from them.
This right here cements my reason for going OL, OL
 

SteelerSask2

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If they can't get Bama or Clemson I'm a no at running back. The thread title says will and should take a running back. You are selecting a player not a position. That's how you bust. Harris and Etienne are first round talent at a position of need. It gets sketchy after that to me.
 

SteelerSask2

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My hope would be Harris and then move up in the second take a Centre like Creed Humphery. My backup is Harris, Etienne gone take OT and then get the Canadian Kid Hubbard later. Maybe go like Zona said, Tackle, C, Hubbard.
 

Badcat

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OT is far more critical, as is a C. We're praying Okorofor is a LT and we have no quality depth at either Tackle position.
 

madinsomniac

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  • 1. RB’s are dependent on Oline play, and the Steelers Oline is far from solid right now. The dropoff from a starting RB to a backup RB is often miniscule because so much of the rushing games success is predicated by Scheme and Oline talent. You will see stud RBs go down on teams with great olines and be replaced by no names that hold their own in the rushing department annually… That doesn’t mean great RBs aren’t useful, just that for most, their production over the replacements is negligible
  • 2. Running the football is the easiest skillset to find. QBs , WR,s and even defensive players occasionally convert to RB when it looks like they aren’t getting a shot at their current position…
  • 3. Honestly the production of first, second, and third round backs correlates more with opportunities given than talent… think of Mendenhall… his running abilty was pedestrian, but he had a couple season over 1000 yards because they kept giving him the ball to justify the pick…. This actually becomes one of the key talking points against first round backs… no matter how bad they really are, they are assured a couple years of starting, even if better options are available on the roster… 6th and 7thround backs usually get cut even if they perform well, while higher picks linger…
  • 4. UDFA rbs are frequently all stars… the case could be made that a better use of the first rounder could be any other prime position and taking a shotgun approach to signing a bunch of UDFA guys and having an open competition is a better asset allocation than using the first rounder on a back… high end players at other positions like LB or CB or T can be found as UDFA’s, but its much rarer and usually takes longer to translate…..
  • 5. There is absolutely no correlation between a first round back and winning a super bowl in this day and age… go back the last decade or so… line up first round back’s starting on the team that drafted them and winning the super bowl… you’ll probably find more UDFA… The best back in this era is Probably AP… and he hasn’t exactly translated that to wins in the big game…

  • 6. The steelers have a miserable record with first round RBs…
  • a. There has been exactly one player they used a first round pick on who enjoyed both team and individual success with…. Franco Harris…. Bettis was a first rounder that we got for a second round pick slightly used… which is always a viable option because teams don’t really hold onto guys especially now…
  • b. The last several have been virtual busts…. Mendenhall, Worley, Abercrombie, Hawthorne…..
  • c. From 36 to 68 they selected 19 RBs or FBs in the first round… (really impressive considering they had 8 years in that time with no pick) This fits nicely with their absolute loser timeframe where winning was
  • 7. RBs have short shelf lives… a solid T or CB will probably still be playing after the post Ben rebuild… taking a RB here will probably be a short term fix that leaves a glaring hole five years down the road


The bottom line is that the first round is the best chance to land a premium player that can resolve a need for a decade for your team. RBs don’t often last a decade… A mediocre RB isn’t as big an issue in this NFL, and a great Oline masks that anyhow… much like with an interior lineman, its far better to address this in the second or third rounds than to blow a first rounder on a glamor pick that will not produce much more than the guys we already have will in the grand scheme of things…
 

madinsomniac

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This was the header from the above post.... ******* iPhones.....


So let me state why I disagree wholeheartedly with drafting a RB in the first round…

(now Ill support anyone the draft and root for them, but that doesn’t ever make it a smart move)

Rbs have less value than most positions… this is for several reasons…
 

SteelerFan448

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A top RB can make an average line look good,
Leveon Bell
We saw what they were when he left, bottom feeders

Everyone is comparing Harris to Le'Veon Bell. Bell was ok his first year. Had a good four-year stretch and then he fell off a cliff. The Steelers need a running back and there are a few good ones at the top of the draft. By the time this team may be ready to contend for a title again, he's going to be washed up while an offensive lineman would just be hitting his prime.
 

ZonaBurgh

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My hope would be Harris and then move up in the second take a Centre like Creed Humphery. My backup is Harris, Etienne gone take OT and then get the Canadian Kid Hubbard later. Maybe go like Zona said, Tackle, C, Hubbard.
I'd go with Gainwell over Hubbard in the third as he apparently has a problem with free speech. Sorry wrong forum, just thinking of the locker room.
 

bigben

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Everyone is comparing Harris to Le'Veon Bell. Bell was ok his first year. Had a good four-year stretch and then he fell off a cliff. The Steelers need a running back and there are a few good ones at the top of the draft. By the time this team may be ready to contend for a title again, he's going to be washed up while an offensive lineman would just be hitting his prime.
Harris could be the best RB in the league. Wont matter.
Tomlin had the best RB and wr in the league for multiple seasons. still couldn't win.
He is the black cloud that will hang over Pittsburgh for another 3 mediocre seasons.
 

Hines57

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I don't dislike the pick. I just hope they can get people to block for the kid. He also has one extra year of wear coming out as a senior. RBs have short lifespans in this league. I think we could have done better with longevity going OL, but that's why Colbert makes the big bucks and I'm here.
 

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I think he'll be a big time upgrade over Conner. Also, he's a special person, making his draft day party for the needy foster home people, where he spent many years himself. Now that person should be in the running for NFL man of the year.

A three down back. Runs inside or out with some speed, has good vision, and rare ability for a big man to make players miss. Blocks a ton when asked too.. Runs with good power and seldom hit for a loss. Almost never fumbles. Fans of the stiff arm will quickly see he's got a great one. Can hurdle low tacklers too. Deadly in the red zone. Has top level hands for a back, and a good feel for the passing game. There's a lot to like.
 

madinsomniac

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I think he'll be a big time upgrade over Conner. Also, he's a special person, making his draft day party for the needy foster home people, where he spent many years himself. Now that person should be in the running for NFL man of the year.

A three down back. Runs inside or out with some speed, has good vision, and rare ability for a big man to make players miss. Blocks a ton when asked too.. Runs with good power and seldom hit for a loss. Almost never fumbles. Fans of the stiff arm will quickly see he's got a great one. Can hurdle low tacklers too. Deadly in the red zone. Has top level hands for a back, and a good feel for the passing game. There's a lot to like.
Its a bad value regardless... they got a solid starting workhorse back without game breaking speed.... you can find that throughout the draft and udfa.... this was a short term selection ... first round picks should solidify a spot for an era... not a couple years .... again drafting 1st round rbs isn’t historically how to win super bowls... they should have just traded down especially since they were going to gamble with most of the picks
 

Omar10213245

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I think he'll be a big time upgrade over Conner. Also, he's a special person, making his draft day party for the needy foster home people, where he spent many years himself. Now that person should be in the running for NFL man of the year.

A three down back. Runs inside or out with some speed, has good vision, and rare ability for a big man to make players miss. Blocks a ton when asked too.. Runs with good power and seldom hit for a loss. Almost never fumbles. Fans of the stiff arm will quickly see he's got a great one. Can hurdle low tacklers too. Deadly in the red zone. Has top level hands for a back, and a good feel for the passing game. There's a lot to like.
spot-on, coach. spot-the ****-on
 
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