Buy Or Sell: Connor Heyward will be more of a fullback under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Explanation: Smith’s offenses tend to lean more toward the run game than most teams. They operate with fewer wide receivers and bigger bodies with a lot of 12 personnel. Presently, Heyward is the only fullback body on the roster, though that could change.
Buy:
Many of us thought that we could see Connor Heyward moving into more of a true fullback role last year. The Steelers did not re-sign Derek Watt, so they opened the door for that possibility. The run game never took off early, though. He ultimately played about 30 snaps at fullback, however, so it’s there.
Heyward is 6-0, 230 pounds. He is a fullback whether he likes it or not. That doesn’t mean he can’t line up in the slot and catch passes, which is a key attribute for him. But Smith’s success on the ground over the years has involved using a fullback.
They had plans to expand his role in that area more last year, as well. Former offensive coordinator Matt Canada talked about it last April. That came after the Steelers drafted Darnell Washington, but they opted not to retain Zach Gentry.
Sell:
While the Steelers likely will utilize the fullback role more under Smith, don’t assume Heyward is how he does it. Chances are he brings in at least one or two of his own players, and a fullback is a good bet. I talked about Parker Hesse as an option already, though that’s speculative.
Heyward did show up better on the blocking front late in the season, but it’s still not a great strength. I imagine Smith and the offense wants a stouter, more reliable grinder for that fullback role. Heyward is more finesse than that or has been up to now.
Then there is the possibility that they don’t actually use a fullback very much. Yes, Smith has a history of employing one, but he’s not running the show here. Mike Tomlin will expect him to adapt to what they want to do rather than the other way around.
With the Steelers’ 2023 season in the rearview mirror following a disappointing year that came up short in the playoffs once again, it’s time to start asking more questions. Questions about the team’s future in 2024 and beyond. Questions about The Standard.
The rookie class of a year ago was on the whole impressive, but they need to step up into staple starters in 2024. And they likely need a strong influx of talent in both free agency and in the 2024 NFL draft yet again. In addition to a revisitation of the coaching staff.
These sorts of uncertainties are what I will look to address in our Buy or Sell series. In each installment, I will introduce a topic statement and weigh some of the arguments for either buying it (meaning that you agree with it or expect it to be true) or selling it (meaning you disagree with it or expect it to be false).
