With Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throwing for more than 5,000 yards in 2018 it was easy to forget a run game even existed. But James Conner was able to be highly productive when allowed and even made the Pro Bowl.
But in 2019, the run game is going to be even more important to help bring balance to the Steelers offense. Let’s take a look at the Steelers’ running back situation.
James Conner
Conner returns as the workhorse of the Steelers rushing attack. Conner carried the football 215 times last season for a 4.5 average yards per carry. He proved to be more than capable of being the team’s feature back and if not for an injury would have had an even better season. Conner was third on the team with 55 receptions and scored 13 total touchdowns.
Jaylen Samuels
When Conner was injured, Jaylen Samuels answered the call. We still don’t have a clear picture of what Samuels is capable of but as of now, he’s the guy to fill in if something were to happen to Conner. Unfortunately, head coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t believe in sharing reps so we don’t look for much of a workload for Samuels.
Stevan Ridley?
As of now, veteran running back Stevan Ridley remains unsigned but this could change. No teams have shown an interest in Ridley on the free-agent market and this could be good news for the Steelers. Pittsburgh might look for a back in the draft but it is good to know a guy like Ridley could be just sitting out there once the draft is over.
Overall
The Steelers have dedicated a lot of energy to scouting running backs ahead of the draft. With Conner and Samuels in place, there’s no reason for the Steelers to reach for a back but with two third-round picks, Pittsburgh could get themselves some real value at the position.
