Today I wanted to look at the running backs, a position the Pittsburgh Steelers could be looking to add depth to for the 2022 season. The graph below uses their 2021 PFF Grade and their current rank on PFF’s Big Board that updates through the draft process:
We see a lack of players at the top of the graph with PFF sharing the no running back in the first-round sentiment, and actually no player in the top 50. The top player on the current big board is Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III, who has good listed size and produced with more opportunity in 2021 on 250+ carries and over 1600 rushing yards but wasn’t used much as a receiver. He had an 85+ overall grade, 90+ rushing and gap grade, 80+ zone grade along with a great 147.5 elusive rating and impressive 4.46 yards after contact! Walker III ranked first in yards after contact, missed tackles forced, tied for first in carries of 15+ yards and top 15 rank in zone attempts.
Iowa State running back Breece Hall has great listed size and good experience with 250+ carries and over 1000 rushing yards the last two seasons, along with 20+ catches in each of the last three, highlighted with 300+ receiving yards in 2021. He had an 85+ overall, rushing, and zone grade, 70+ gap grade, above average 86.8 elusive rating, but below average 2.83 yards after contact. Hall ranked top ten in missed tackles forced and carries of 15+ yards, and top 15 in zone attempts.
Florida running back Dameon Pierce has good mass but below average height and less experience with only 100+ carries, 500+ rush yards and 150+ receiving yards in each of the last two seasons. In 2021 he had 90+ overall, rushing, and zone grades, an 85+ gap grade along with a great 138 elusive rating and good 3.65 yards after contact with ability to break tackles. Pierce played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance as a physical runner on multiple occasions, along with a nice first down run with good vision, but dropped a catch opportunity though the pass was a bit high.
Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams is listed with below average size and had 200+ carries in each of the last two seasons along with 35+ catches and 300+ receiving yards, with 1000+ rush yards in 2020 and just shy of that mark in 2021. He had an 80+ overall, rushing, and gap grade, but below average high 60 zone grade along with a good 107.1 elusive rating and 3.71 yards after contact.
The final player in the current top 100 is BYU running back Tyler Allgeier, who is listed with good size and produced well with more opportunity in 2021 with 250+ carries and 1600+ rush yards along with 25+ catches for nearly 200 yards, and also had a 1000+ rush yard season in 2020 on less than 150 carries! In 2021 he had a 90+ overall and rushing grade, a near 90 zone grade, a below average 75+ gap grade, a good 111.1 elusive rating and strong 4.16 yards after contact. Allgeier ranked top five in yards after contact and zone attempts along with a top ten rank in missed tackles forced.
Getting outside the current top 100 we see a clump of players, with Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford having the strongest grade. He could stand to add weight and played the last three seasons, gaining most of his experience last season with 200+ carries and 1300+ rush yards along with 20+ catches for 200+ yards. Ford had 85+ overall, rushing, and gap grades, 75+ zone grade, slightly above average 73 elusive rating, and slightly below average 3.07 yards after contact.
Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. has great size and gained most of his experience in 2021 with 250+ carries and 1300+ rush yards along with 35 catches for nearly 300 yards. He had 85+ overall and zone grades, 90+ rushing grade, an 80+ gap grade along with an above average 92.4 elusive rating and slightly above average 3.29 yards after contact along with top 10 ranks in zone attempts, missed tackles forced, carries of 15+ yards, and a top 15 rank in yards after contact as well. Robinson Jr. played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his churning running style on multiple occasions but noted him missing a pass block.
Georgia running back James Cook is listed with below average mass and played sparingly until last season when he had 100+ carries for 700+ rush yards along with 25+ catches for 200 receiving yards, also eclipsing 100+ in each of the last three seasons. In 2021 he had an 85 overall grade, 80+ rushing and gap grades, a 70+ zone grade along with an above average 86.6 elusive rating and good 3.91 yards after contact.
Missouri running back Tyler Badie is a smaller back and while playing the last three seasons, gained most of his experience in 2021 with 250+ carries for 1600+ rush yards and was also featured as a receiver with 50+ catches for 300+ yards, eclipsing that yardage each of the last three seasons. He had 85+ overall, rushing, and zone grades, an 80+ gap grade along with a slightly above average 71.2 elusive rating and 3.38 yards after contact. Badie also had top ten ranks in yards after contact and carries of 15+ yards as well as a top 15 rank in zone attempts.
South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong Jr. has average size and good experience with 100+ carries and receiving yards each of the last three seasons, with 1000+ rush yards in 2019 and 2021. He had and 85+ overall grade, 90+ rushing and zone grades, 70+ gap grade, an average 65 elusive rating and slightly above average 3.39 yards after contact, also tying for a top rank in carries of 15+ yards. Strong Jr. started for the East team in the Shrine Bowl and enjoyed his play highlighted by an explosive 60+ yard screen for a touchdown!
Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller has above average listed size and good experience over the last three seasons with 150+ carries and 20+ catches in each, along with 1000+ rushing yards the last two seasons and nearly reaching that mark in 2019. He had 80+ overall and zone grades, 85+ rushing grade, a 75+ gap grade along with a great 120 elusive rating and good 3.63 yards after contact.
South Carolina running back Zaquandre White has average size and played limitedly the last two seasons, with 75+ carries, 500+ rush yards, and 200+ receiving yards in 2021. He had 80+ overall and gap grades, an 85+ rushing grade, and 75+ zone grade, making the most of his opportunities with a great 153.6 elusive rating and 4.61 yards after contact!
The final player in the current top 150 with the lowest grade is North Carolina State running back Zonovan Knight who has good listed size with 100+ carries and 700+ rush yards each of the last three seasons along with 20+ catches and 100+ yards each of the last two. In 2021 he had 75+ overall, rushing, and zone grades, a 60+ gap grade with a good 110.8 elusive rating and above average 3.41 yards after contact.
The remaining players are currently PFF’s later round/undrafted possibilities, and I will discuss some. Michigan running back Hassan Haskins is listed with great size and played the last three seasons, with most of his production coming last season with 250+ carries, 1300+ rush yards, and 100+ receiving yards. He had a 90+ overall grade, 85+ rushing and gap grades, a 75+ zone grade with a slightly below average 60.5 elusive rating and 3.06 yards after contact. Haskins also ranked top five in gap attempts.
Arizona State running back Rachaad White has good size and played the last two seasons with most of his opportunity coming in 2021 with 175+ carries, 1000 rushing yards, and featured in the pass game with 40+ catches and an impressive 450+ receiving yards! He had 90+ overall and rushing grades, an 85+ gap grade, 80+ zone grade, with above average 89.8 elusive rating and 3.38 yards after contact along with a top five rank in yards per route run. White started for the National Team in the Senior Bowl and loved his performance with double digit positive plays including multiple first downs, converting a fourth and short, a nice hurdle on a run, and a good screen play with my only negative note a failed third and goal attempt.
Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks has good listed size and was productive in 2019 and 2021 with 150+ carries and 1000+ rush yards each season, but wasn’t used much in the pass game and didn’t play in 2020. He had 85+ overall and gap grades, 90+ rushing grade, an 80+ zone grade along with good 118.9 elusive rating and 3.95 yards after contact, with a top five rank in carries of 15+ yards.
North Carolina running back Ty Chandler has average size and played the last three seasons with most of his production coming in 2021 on 150+ carries, 1000+ rush yards, and had good yards after catch on his 14 receptions for 200+ yards. He had 85+ overall and rushing grades, 80+ zone and gap grades, with a good 100 elusive rating and 3.86 yards after contact. Chandler started for the West team in the Shrine Bowl and enjoyed his performance, providing a couple of explosive runs early along with good cuts, a broken tackle, and a good reception but did fumble once.
Baylor running back Abram Smith has good size and played sparingly in 2019, didn’t play in 2020, and most of his experience came in 2021 with 250+ carries, nearly 1600 rush yards, but wasn’t used much in the pass game. He had a 90+ overall grade, 85+ rushing and zone grades, an 80+ gap grade, slightly above average 71.1 elusive rating and good 3.92 yards after contact, ranked first in zone attempts, top five in yards after contact, and top ten in carries of 15+ yards. Smith played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and had a good game, displaying vision, cutting, and power on several runs, a good cut on a screen for a touchdown, but had a drop on a wide-open dump off.
Oregon running back Travis Dye could stand to add weight and played the last three seasons, with most of his production coming last season with 200+ carries, 1200+ rush yards, and 47 receptions for nearly 400 yards. He had 80+ overall and rushing grades, an 85 gap grade, a 75+ zone grade, a below average 52.2 elusive rating, above average 3.53 yards after contact, and top 15 in carries of 15+ yards.
Utah running back T.J. Pledger is listed as undersized and played the last three seasons, but only broke 100+ carries last season with nearly 700 rush yards and 10 catches for 100+ yards. He had a 75+ overall grade, 85+ rushing and zone grades, 70+ gap grade, with a strong 113.1 elusive rating and impressive 4.3 yards after contact! Pledger played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance, highlighted by an explosive run and reception as well.
UTSA running back Sincere McCormick lacks ideal listed height but average mass and has good experience the last three years with 175+ carries each season, 250+ carries and 1400+ rush yards the last two, and 100+ receiving yards each season as well. He had 80+ overall and rushing grades, an 85+ gap grade, 75+ zone grade, but poor 40.2 elusive rating and 2.53 yards after contact, and was ranked top 10 in zone attempts.
The lowest graded player on the graph was Iowa running back Tyler Goodson who has average listed size and had 100+ carries, 500+ rush yards, and 100+ receiving yards each of the last three seasons, with most of his production in 2021 on 250+ carries, 1000+ rush yards, 30+ catches, and nearly 250 receiving yards. He had a 70 overall grade, 65+ rushing and zone grades, 60+ gap grade, a poor 32.8 elusive rating and 2.3 yards after contact. Goodson also tied for the second rank in zone attempts.
A name that did not appear on the board that I enjoyed from the West team in the Shrine Bowl was Florida State running back Jashaun Corbin. He had several positive plays highlighted by two explosive runs, a nice catch, a touchdown with good churn, a two-point conversion, and also lined up as the starting kick returner (though he didn’t field it), but did have a drop in the pass game.
I doubt many will disagree that the depth behind running back Najee Harris could use an upgrade. It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh drafts one, hopefully on day three if they do, with other pressing needs and likely intriguing names still available.
While the ranks on PFF’s board will certainly change, and surely some names missing from this list, I especially hope you enjoyed the grade data and some notes from the all-star games. Later in the process as the Steelers Depot draft team continues to compile more draft profiles, I plan and look forward to providing visuals with their Depot draft grade and projection.
What are your thoughts on this year’s running back class? Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
