The Pittsburgh Steelers used their compensatory draft pick in the 2017 NFL draft to take Pittsburgh running back James Conner at pick 105.
Grading the Pick: the Pittsburgh Steelers take James Connor
Background
James Conner’s story is nothing short of inspirational. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer, but bested the disease, eventually being declared cancer free and given a clean slate of health entering his junior season. Prior to the diagnosis, Conner was a wrecking ball. His sophomore season he rushed for 1,765 yards on 298 attempts and set an ACC record 26 rushing touchdowns. That stat line was good enough to garner him second team All-American honors and he was also voted ACC Player of the Year.
At the combine, people weren’t sure what they were going to get from Conner in a highly-touted running back class. He is a big back that continues to add strength. At 233 lbs., he ran a 4.65 40-yard dash, and declined to participate in the 3-cone agility drill. But agility is not Conner’s strength, power is. He measured in with 31 ½” arms and massive 9 7/8” hands that help him deliver a patented stiff arm that is second to none.
How he fits
James Conner fills an immediate need at backup running back behind Le’Veon Bell. This holds even more true since the Steelers declined to re-sign Bell’s backup last year; DeAngelo Williams. While he was productive in college, Conner was not the type of running back some pundits predicted the Steelers would pursue. There was some speculation that the Steelers would draft the type of back that is a threat in the passing game and has speed to score from anywhere on the field. Instead the Steelers opted for one of the most powerful backs in the draft and he should compete with Fitzgerald Toussaint throughout training camp and the preseason to see who wins the job as Bell’s backup.
Strengths
James Conner’s strength is his power and vision. Arm tackles won’t do much good against Conner as he hits the hole with authority and runs with good lean for a guy that’s over 6 feet tall. That lean allows him to get behind his shoulder pads and gives tacklers a tough, hard charging target to try to bring down. Conner knows what he is as a back, he tries to get north and south and make defenders pay for tackling him. This type of power running has proven effective in the AFC North cold for decades now as teams start to fight over the division championship and jockey for playoff positioning. Although he does possess good vision, sometimes Conner lacks the speed to make the cutbacks that develop naturally in the defense. He’s smart enough to not even try to attempt those cutbacks and stick to where he’s making progress. This decision making, along with his running style means that he can wear out a defense quickly. Instead of cutting back and looking for daylight Conner is perfectly content running over defensive backs time and time again.
Needs to Improve
Due to Conner’s north-south running style he sometimes lacks the speed or ability to bounce a run to the outside. Also, because of his size and lack of top end speed he builds up a lot of momentum on his way to the line of scrimmage, if he gets there, and the hole isn’t open, he can get stopped before he really gets going. He hasn’t shown the pass catching skills to be an every down back in today’s NFL. Lastly, being a pure power back, Conner doesn’t possess the ability to make defenders miss him, he either breaks the tackle or is down.
Final Grade: C+
Similar to the situation with Sutton, a James Conner without his medical history would have gone much higher in this draft. There’s little doubt that Conner can be a productive back in the NFL. If he continues to bounce back from Hodgins’s Lymphoma like he did his junior season at Pitt, he could be the battering ram that helps the Steelers offense keep Bell rested. He will be an asset in the red zone and short yardage situations especially if the Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley installs a heavy package to emphasize Conner’s strengths. He may not have been the best running back on the board at the 105th pick, but he was the one the Steelers were most comfortable with after, especially considering he was the only running back to visit the Steelers pre-draft. He will find a home in the Steelers backfield in relief of Bell despite some of his shortcomings.
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