The Steelers' top draft needs are obviously on offense for 2020 after the abysmal output from 2019. As the team looks for playmakers, one of their best chances might be a running back class that won't have too many suitors before their second round, 49th overall pick.
Here's a brief overlook of the top running backs for Kevin Colbert to consider before the NFL Scouting Combine begins Feb. 23 in Indianapolis:
D'Andre Swift - Georgia
5-foot-9, 215 lbs.
Projected Mid-First Round to Mid-Second Round
Swift finished his junior year at Georgia running well behind a good offensive line for 1218 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019. He looks like the top prospect of the class because of his impressive lower body strength, explosiveness and his understanding of how to run behind various run schemes.
He balances patience behind his blockers with aggressiveness once he lines up a defender to evade. Watch how he explodes through his gap, but maintains a strong balance to avoid an ankle tackle while pulling off a spin move against Kentucky, all before he finished the play with a touchdown:
Swift is another prospect in a long line of recent prototype running backs from Georgia like current NFL starters Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Swift is missing the top-tier production of the other prospects in this class, but the metrics and tape make him an exciting NFL prospect.
He knows how to make defenders miss in the hole and at the second level, and his ability to quickly accelerate through tight gaps and past tacklers look like they will translate well to the NFL.
Jonathan Taylor - Wisconsin
5-foot-11, 211 lbs.
Projected Late First Round to Late Second Round
Taylor has the best production of this class, tying Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins for 2003 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, and leading the group with 2255 yards and 26 touchdowns from scrimmage. Taylor has the complete build for an NFL running back with elite speed and a well demonstrated ability to attack the line of scrimmage.
He has a strong stiff arm and isn't afraid of contact, but he also has the speed to beat defenders who have pursuit angles. Plenty of his touchdowns came after making multiple defenders miss and then accelerating to full speed and not being touched. Watch this 88-yard touchdown and watch how he deals with two defenders in the hole.
You can see him take on initial contact by lowering the shoulders and protecting the football, all while keeping his head up to deliver a strong stiff arm to the last defender before he took off for the touchdown:
Taylor never gives up on plays and looks every bit the part of an NFL running back that can make big plays at any point. He also has a good reputation as a locker room leader and a great teammate. The biggest drawbacks on Taylor are his fifteen career fumbles, six of which came in 2019, and his heavy usage in college.
Over three years he totaled over 6,000 rushing yards on 900 carries. That's great production, but the wear and tear could be a warning sign to any NFL team looking for a running back to rely on in today's NFL.
Zack Moss - Utah
5-foot-10, 222 lbs.
Projected Second Round to Early Third Round
Moss is the top power back of this class that had 1416 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground in 2019. He was Dale Lolley's pick in his first mock draft of the offseason last week, and for good reason. When I watch Moss it's exciting to see him go from process what's happening in front of him and jump into attacking defenders with his violent running style.
Taylor doesn't shy from contact, but Moss welcomes it. He possesses multiple moves that absorb attempted tackles without stopping him from accelerating to make a big play. Combine that with the impressive vision he demonstrated in 2019 and he's dangerous.
Watch this example on a 91-yard touchdown that he sparks with a bulldozing spin move in the hole. He dips his shoulder into the defender while keeping his feet working so he can keep the play going after contact:
Naturally the physical run style could be a concern with durability and he did have season-ending knee surgery in 2018, but Moss has shown several ways to win without being reckless. Outside of missing the home run speed of the other backs on this list, he's got some of the best qualities of a prospect.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire - Louisiana State
5-foot-8, 205 lbs.
Projected Late Second Round to Late Third Round
Edwards-Helaire was one of the more exciting players to follow in 2019 as he and the LSU Tigers won the National Championship. His footwork is the most impressive of this group as he always has a move for a defender no matter where first contact is made.
His 1414 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns were impressive, and so was his ability to show up in big games. He rushed for over 100 yards against both Alabama, where he also scored four touchdowns, and in the National Championship Game over Clemson.
Edwards-Helaire is the electric back that can create with his athleticism at any level. Watch how he deals with a free look from a defender in the backfield just as he takes the handoff from Joe Burrow. He gathers himself quickly and puts a spin move on the defender while keeping his head up so that he can force another missed tackle with a juke for a nine yard gain:
He also has great ball security with only two fumbles in his three year collegiate career, spanning over 403 scrimmage touches and an additional 47 kickoff returns. He doesn't have a touchdown return, but he did average 18.6 yards per return with his longest being a 77-yard kickoff return in 2018.
Edwards-Helaire's biggest question mark is his lack of size. LSU moved him all over the field as a receiver and rarely, if ever, had him in pass protection. That could easily become a concern in the NFL and especially for the Steelers as they protect Ben Roethlsberger in his final NFL seasons.
J.K. Dobbins - Ohio State
5-foot-10, 217 lbs.
Projected Second Round to Mid-Third Round
Oddly enough, Dobbins' 2003 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns in 2019 were an exact match to Taylor. His 6.7 yards per carry is the highest of the group as he was a focal point for Ohio State's run to the playoffs. Dobbins displays good spacial awareness that allows him to dodge tacklers once he gets going.
Watch how he attacks this angle while dodging an ankle tackle, and then sidestepping an extra tackler in the secondary to get the first down against Wisconsin:
Dobbins looked dangerous at all times in a backfield with quarterback Justin Fields that presented a consistent threat of the run option. But that's also part of the concern for his transition to the NFL, because that's not a pro-style offense like how Taylor and other top running back prospects made players miss.
He's still a heck of an athlete and will get a chance to prove it wasn't just Ohio State's offense that led to his production. But Dobbins may shoot up everyone's draft boards if he excels at the combine.
Cam Akers - Florida State
5-foot-11, 211 lbs.
Projected Late Second Round to Late Third Round
Akers is an interesting prospect because he displayed good open field capabilities and made several defenders miss in 2019. But he also had the lowest production of this group with 1144 yards on 231 carries for a five yard average.
Like Dobbins, Akers benefited from a college offense that based a lot of his success on option runs and the wildcat where he could more easily isolate defenders and make them miss.
Watch how he makes that work by pulling the defensive end that starts the play reading the quarterback all the way down the line. Once Akers pulls him far enough, he accelerates quickly past him for an easy touchdown:
Akers had plenty of highlights out of the wildcat and similar run schemes that stretched the defense, but it's a real question whether that will translate well to the NFL. But fair analysis must acknowledge the offense, and particularly his offensive line, was horrible at Florida State. So he may just need a chance to run in a pro-style offense to prove his potential.
Synopsis
The Steelers have typically favored bigger backs in the early rounds like Le'Veon Bell, James Conner and Benny Snell who can give out punishment both as a runner and as a pass protector. That lends to the notion that Taylor, Moss and Dobbins being the best fits.
But as I wrote last week, it's imperative the Steelers have a much better ground game in 2020 and that will hinge on having a running back that excels at making defenders miss tackles. Swift and Edwards-Helaire are prime candidates for doing that as well as anybody in this class, and would be a change of pace from the power style runners they've relied on for the past decade.
MORE CLASSROOM
Feb. 4: Break more tackles in 2020
Jan. 31: Patience on Edmunds
Jan. 27: Building around Fitzpatrick
Jan. 24: Legendary chance in front
