Welcome to our annual Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Profiles! Each of these articles will feature all of the positions in the game of football and more importantly, the top-rated players at these positions and those that the Steelers may be interested in! This one features the Running Backs.
Jonathon Brooks – Texas 6’0″ 215lbs
4-Star recruit who had just one season of action as a full-time running back… Very solid as a receiver catching the ball consistently with his hands… His strong background in basketball is evident with his footwork/Jump cuts, stop and starts are solid… He will get LBS and DBs to bite on play-action as he’s very good at it… Appears to be scheme-versatile… The overall lack of action during college will create some doubt for people… Just an average open-field runner… Decision-making as a runner can be puzzling at times.
Our Projection: Late Second Round
Trey Benson – Florida State, 6’0″ 215lbs
Originally went to Oregon where he suffered a severe knee injury… Transferred to Florida State in 2022… Impressive speed especially considering the knee injury… Displays some burst and ability to hit the next gear quickly… Better than average vision… Decent pass catcher out of the backfield… Catches the ball very naturally but his hands can betray him at times… Often looks for contact which you like but it also takes a toll on him… Not overly shifty.
Our Projection: Third Round
Bucky Irving – Oregon, 5’9″ 190lbs
Played in 11 games as a freshman for Minnesota… Transferred to Oregon for his Sophomore season… Threat to take it the distance any time he touches the ball… Terrific acceleration and hits the edge in a damn hurry… His vision pairs nicely with his agility… Over 80 receptions in his last two seasons… Can he add some weight/muscle without it affecting his speed… Pass blocking is a significant issue/Will need immediate upgrades in this area… I don’t view him as an every down back but the right team that gets the ball in his hands will appreciate him.
Our Projection: Third Round
Jaylen Wright – Tennessee, 5’10” 210lbs
Played in 33 games over his three year career at Tennessee… Ran for over 1,000 yards in 2023 where he averaged over seven yards per carry… Tremendous athletic skills… Runs with some serious aggression… Keeps his pads low making him tough to get clean hits on him… Has shown some real promise as a receiver but just 30 catches in three seasons… Likely a perfect fit for a zone running team… Fairly lean build and not what I would call “overly strong”… Doesn’t gain much ground after being contacted… He battles hard on every play and I think his ceiling is rather high.
Our Projection: Late Second Round
Blake Corum – Michigan, 5’8″ 200lbs
Small frame, but powerful… Has a knack for squeezing through small spaces… Likely a guy who can play in any type of running scheme… Excellent use of the jump cut… Often makes first man miss… Lowers pads to get extra yards… Doesn’t test “fast” but has football speed to break away from guys… Very strong hitting 30 reps of 225lbs at the Combine… First order of business is to improve pass protection… Fairly limited as a receiver in terms of routes and overall skills… There are some durability issues.
Our Projection: Late Third Round
Audric Estime – Notre Dame, 5’11” 220lbs
Played in 24 games over the last two seasons for the Fighting Irish… Thick and strong player with powerful legs… Has that knack for falling forward to gain extra yards… Sneaky agility that you don’t expect him to have… Extremely well-suited to be a top pass protector but will need to clean up some things… Not going to break away from anyone… Very limited as a pass catcher… Best suited to a run-first team… Can serve as a short yardage/goal line type of back early on.
Our Projection: Late Third to Late Fourth Round
Will Shipley – Clemson, 5’11” 205lbs
Team captain and All-ACC performer in 2023… Top notch burst and overall speed… Sees things in front of him very well… Not great, but an effective pass protector… Terrific open-field runner… Very good receiver out of the backfield or when aligned outside… Good speed but not NFL-level ‘breakaway’ speed… Ball security must be improved… Good sized kid but does he have the overall power and mass for the NFL… Likely will have in immediate impact as a third down back especially for a pass-first team.
Our Projection: Late Third to Mid-Fourth Round
Dillon Johnson – Washington, 6’0″ 215lbs
Played 37 games at Mississippi State before heading to Washington for his 2023 season… Potential to be a traditional workhorse running back… Pretty standard ‘downhill’ type of runner… Catches the ball well out of the backfield… Runs routes as well as any other back in the Draft… Very good runner between the tackles and shows some potential as an outside guy as well… Pass protection will need to be addressed… Doesn’t make a lot of guys miss/Not overly shifty… Overall vision is just average… Best suited for a run-first team who can provide him with pass protection coaching.
Our Projection: Early Fifth Round
Other guys to keep an eye on…
Braelon Allen – Wisconsin… Dylan Laube – New Hampshire… Isaiah Davis – South Dakota State
