The Steelers are now in their offseason after failing to reach the playoffs in 2022, coming up just a game short of sneaking in as the seventh seed. They needed help in week 18 and only got some of it, so instead they sat home and watched the playoffs with the rest of us.
On tap is figuring out how to be on the field in January and February instead of being a spectator. They started out 2-6, digging a hole that proved too deep to dig out of even if they managed to go 7-2 in the second half of the year.
Starting from the end of the regular season and leading all the way up to the beginning of the 2023 season, there are plenty of questions that need answered, starting with who will be the offensive coordinator. Which free agents will be kept? Who might be let go due to their salary? How might they tackle free agency with this new front office? How might they tackle the 2023 NFL Draft? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout this offseason, as we have for many years.
Question: Can one of the rookie undrafted running backs jump the line and take the third RB slot from Anthony McFarland Jr.?
Given that there isn’t a third running back currently on the team who was a member of the 53-man roster last season, it’s fair to say that there is no incumbent for that job. With that being said, Anthony McFarland Jr. did spend two seasons there himself prior to last year, and has three years of experience in the Steelers’ system.
But that won’t guarantee him a job. Most probably thought he was a shoo-in for the 53-man roster at this time last year when Pittsburgh didn’t add any veterans or draft anybody at the position. Then undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren stepped out in front of the pack during training camp.
Does Pittsburgh have another under the radar running back who could take the same path as Warren last year? Many fans were hopeful that another 2022 undrafted rookie, Master Teague III, could be that guy, but he was recently released.
The Steelers have signed two college free agent rookie running backs this offseason, neither of them directly after the draft. Both participated in the HBCU Combine and the Legacy Bowl, at which the team had a larger showing than most teams, including the only team to send their GM.
Alfonzo Graham is a 5’9”, 180-pounder out of Morgan State, and over the past two seasons he rushed for 1656 yards with a 6.6-yard average and 13 touchdowns. He also has some experience on returns. Darius Hagans is a bigger back at 6’0”, 210 pounds. Coming out of Virginia State, he rushed for over 1,000 yards last season with six touchdowns. He had over 2,000 total rushing yards in three years there with 17 scores.
