A few Steelers leftovers from today: Todd Haley told me rookie Dri Archer's running style reminds him of Jamaal Charles, minus 20 lbs.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) July 28, 2014
Not that Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is all that big. Still, hearing Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley compare rookie Dri Archer to the two-time first team All Pro Charles has to get people going.
Charles is under 200 pounds in his own right, but, like Archer, Charles can fly in cleats. Charles is also a skilled receiver, and can create mismatch opportunities from the backfield or slot.
Haley inherited Charles when he took over as the head coach of the Chiefs in 2009, and helped him to his first All Pro season in 2010. Charles, like Archer, was a third round pick.
Too small? Whatever. Too fast? Doesn't seem likely. Their running styles are similar in both players are game-breakers, with the kind of speed that can take either of them to the house if left unchecked.
The real key is Charles' rookie season. He had over 600 total yards on 97 touches, making him one of the most dangerous players per touch in the NFL. He also returned 15 kicks for 321 yards (21.4 average).
These are all very good stats, and not at all suggestive of Archer's likely 2014 output. Still, remove Charles' two fumbles in 2008 and add a few more than one touchdown, Archer would be among the steals of the 2014 NFL Draft and would be one of the most highly anticipated players of the Steelers' 2015 season.