Pittsburgh Steelers: Rookie grades for 2019 season

Round 4

Benny Snell: C+

The running back position is a mess in Pittsburgh. With James Conner getting injured every other half, Snell saw plenty of playing time during his rookie season. By Week 6, Snell jumped Jaylen Samuels on the depth chart and became an impact player.

Snell offered good value as a fourth-round pick. In three seasons at Kentucky, Snell rushed for 3,873 yards and 48 touchdowns. However, his 5.3 yards per carry in college didn’t translate to the NFL. Snell rushed for 3.9 yards per carry in 2019.

At the end of the season, Snell’s 108 carries, 426 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns ranked second on the team. Conner held a slight lead over Snell in all three categories, but the former Pro Bowler made a much larger impact in the receiving game than Snell.

Overall, Snell can serve as a good rotation back. However, the Steelers should look for better insurance for Conner. Snell doesn’t offer enough as a receiver yet, and he can get bogged down too quickly because of his power running style.

Depending on how well Conner plays in 2020, the Steelers may blow up the running back position and start over again.

Round 5

Zach Gentry: D-

Heath Miller surprised Steelers fans when he retired following the 2015 season at 33 years old. Despite several attempts to replace the fan-favorite, the Steelers are still looking for their tight end of the future.

Drafting Gentry supposedly beefed up the tight end room, which needed a replacement for Jesse James. However, Gentry did not see much playing time next to Vance McDonald. The 6-8 rookie played 49 offensive snaps during his rookie season.

The Steelers went as far as to trade for Nick Vannett instead of elevating Gentry’s snaps in 2019. Considering that Vannett is a pending unrestricted free agent, Gentry will get chances to prove himself this offseason and during the 2020 preseason.