When the Steelers selected Jaylen Samuels in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, they found a player who didn't necessarily fit into a specific spot, but could fill a number of them because of his various skills.
Samuels presents the profile of an interesting prospect because of how he could become a playmaker from so many different places in the offense. Though he has neither elite size at 6-foot-0, 225 lbs., nor elite speed at a 4.54 time in the 40-yard dash, his football tape shows a player who knows how to make plays when the ball is in his hands.
We take a look at his film to show his success:
Samuels was listed as a fullback at the NFL draft, but he played as halfback, tight end and even lined up as a receiver at times for North Carolina State. Technically, Samuels would qualify as an H-back because of how he plays. But he's a shifty runner who knows how to read his blockers and cut between lanes, as he demonstrates in this run against Syracuse. Notice how he's comfortable accelerating into his assigned hole, but has the awareness to cut back against the defense:
That shiftiness applies to Samuels' skills as a ballcarrier whether he's a runner or a receiver. His senior year featured 78 carries for 407 yards and a 5.2 yards per carry average, and 75 receptions for 593 yards and a 7.9 yards per catch average.
Most of Samuels' receptions came out of the backfield with him rolling to the flat and making plays against defenders in space. Those kind of plays show a playmaker who can make defenders miss in space, which is often hard to teach.
Watch this play against Syracuse where he's out in the flat and comes half a yard short of scoring a touchdown. As soon as he catches the ball, he looks upfield and assesses the approaching defensive backs to be able to cut inside of them, all before he cuts back to the sideline to attack the end zone:
But make no mistake, Samuels has the skill to catch the ball in different spots around the field. Here he is making a one-handed grab at the goal line against Clemson and finding his way to the end zone:
Those types of plays don't require a ton of schematic analysis. Having the ability to make catches in space on your back shoulder is something extremely useful, especially in the red zone.
Samuels still has other skills that can be put to use. Because he could line up in so many different positions, North Carolina State would occasionally put him in a position where he could completely fool defenses.
Here he is receiving a handoff in the backfield and immediately setting up to throw a 25-yard pass down the field behind a defense that is expecting run:
North Carolina State asked a lot from Samuels, and he often delivered. He scored 47 touchdowns from many different positions, and that's because of his versatility. Samuels just has a nose for the end zone. Here you can see him extending for the goal line and fighting through to make the play:
Samuels will have stiff competition as he tries to earn a roster spot behind Le'Veon Bell, James Conner, Steven Ridley and Fitzgerald Toussaint. Samuels has positional versatility on his side, but in the NFL, it helps more if you can solidify a specific role.
If Samuels can find a way to employ the skills he showed when he had the ball in his hands in the NCAA, maybe the Steelers can find a way to fit him onto the roster. When he faces more NFL-caliber players in training camp and preseason, those questions will get answered.
