Pittsburgh Steelers: Early 55-man roster predictions after the 2020 draft
By Samuel Teets
Running Backs (5): James Conner, Anthony McFarland Jr., Jaylen Samuels, Benny Snell Jr., Derek Watt
Pittsburgh struggled running the ball last season. The team averaged 90.4 rushing yards per game, which ranked 29th in the NFL. In comparison, the Baltimore Ravens averaged 206.0 rushing yards per game. If the Steelers want to protect Roethlisberger, their offense must feature a more balanced attack this coming season.
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Conner is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He should get a fair shot at the starting job, but if he can’t stay healthy, McFarland or Snell will take over. This season, I see Conner bouncing back after a forgettable 2019 campaign while Snell, who didn’t show much upside as a rookie, loses carries to McFarland.
Depending on how you interpret the new rules, the roster remains closely tied to the 53-man limit, even with the practice squad swing players. If that’s the case, younger players can move up and down while veterans have limited wiggle room if they’re on the roster bubble. Someone like Samuels seems primed to lose his job this year.
Samuels averaged a measly 2.7 yards per carry last season and somehow managed to throw an interception out of the wild cat formation. With Pittsburgh bringing in younger talent, the writing is on the wall for Samuels. He could sneak in with the new rules but the former fifth-round pick is still on the roster bubble.
Based on my roster projections, Trey Edmunds, Ralph Webb and Kerrith Whyte Jr. will all fail to make the final roster.