The Steelers have made a habit of late of taking players in the NFL Draft who have good bloodlines. Think T.J. Watt, Terrell Edmunds and even 2019 first-round draft pick Devin Bush.
On Saturday, they reached back into NFL history to grab a player with their first pick in the fourth round of the draft, selecting running back Benny Snell of Kentucky. Snell's great-uncle is former Jets star Matt Snell, who helped lead New York to an upset win in Super Bowl III.
"I've only talked to him about it a couple of times," the younger Snell said Saturday. "But I get to learn from him. I watch his highlights. I like to mirror my game after a great one like him."
The Steelers would settle for Snell (5-foot-10, 224 pounds) being a competent backup in their running back room, where he will join the young group of James Conner and Jaylen Samuels. It might be the youngest such room in the league. Conner, the starter, is a third-year player and just 23. Samuels is 22. Snell is 21. Fullback Roosevelt Nix, at 27, is now the old guy in the running back room.
"The most exciting thing is that they're young," first-year running backs coach Eddie Faulkner said. "Those guys every day sit right in that room and just absorb everything you say. They're ready to learn. They're ready to get better. That's ideal. With a guy like Roosevelt Nix in the room, he does provide that leadership, kind of that old head to make sure the room is right. James Conner is mature beyond his years. That doesn't really concern me at all."
The Steelers had a need at running back after veteran Stevan Ridley's contract expired at the end of the season.
Snell feels he's a great compliment to Conner, who earned a Pro Bowl trip last season in his first year as a starter after taking over for Le'Veon Bell. He was a three-year starter and three-time 1,000-yard rusher at Kentucky. He also was a touchdown producer, scoring 48 in just 39 career games. He had some of his best games in 2018 against his toughest competition, going for 165 yards against Mississippi State and 144 in a bowl win over Penn State.
"I felt in the bottom of my heart that this is where I belonged," said Snell, a native of Westerville, Ohio, the same area that produced Bell and Nix. "My style is hard-nosed football. I'm grinding for every yard. I'm physical in the pass protection. I'm a physical player. I mirror myself after a Marshawn Lynch or an Adrian Peterson. I'm fighting for extra yards. I'm just going to give you my all."
In the fifth round, the Steelers selected tight end Zach Gentry of Michigan to help bolster their depth at that position after losing backup Jesse James in free agency. Gentry is massive at 6 feet 8, 265 pounds, and comes from the same program as Bush, the team's first-round pick. He isn't a burner, but is considered an excellent blocker. He did, however, catch 32 passes for 514 yards and two touchdowns in 2018.
With the first of their three picks in the sixth round, they selected outside linebacker Sutton Smith from Northern Illinois. Smith, 6 feet, 233 pounds, was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 61 tackles and finishing among the nation's leaders with 26.5 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, three forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. last season.
With their second sixth-round pick, they selected defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs of Alabama. Buggs, 6 feet 3, 306 pounds, could play inside or outside, according to the Steelers' defensive line coach, Karl Dunbar, who recruited him to Alabama when he was in the same position with the Crimson Tide. Buggs started all 15 games for the Crimson Tide last season, leading the team with 9.5 sacks.
With their third sixth-round selection, the Steelers went back to the well at inside linebacker, selecting Akron's Ulysees Gilbert III. Gilbert, 6 feet, 223 pounds, is viewed as a future special teams ace who plays well in space thanks to his 4.46-second 40 time.
With their final selection, they picked offensive tackle Derwin Gray of Maryland. Gray was one of the highest-ranked offensive linemen in his class coming out of high school and was a starter at left tackle for the Terrapins.
DALE'S VIEW
This was all about filling needs on Day 3 -- not that the first two days weren't. But the Steelers really went heavy on special teams and filling out the back end of their roster.
Can any of these guys make it?
Buggs, Gentry and Snell would likely have the best chance. But the two linebackers also have a good chance if they can play special teams. Gray seems like a guy destined for the practice squad.
