After Alex Highsmith signed his contract earlier today, it appears the Steelers have a second member of the 2020 draft class under contract.
Anthony McFarland Jr. broke into the national spotlight in November, 2018 when he followed a 210 yard rushing game against Indiana with an incredible 298 yard dissection of Ohio State. Despite Maryland losing both games, Anthony McFarland had put the world on notice. Injuries reduced McFarland’s effectiveness in 2019, and the Steelers benefited, finding a player with a lot of big play potential in the 4th round.
The Steelers have 5 running backs on the roster who carried the ball in 2019, but they don’t have a lot of big-play potential in the group so McFarland has a good opportunity to carve out a role for himself in the offense. The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted a running back in each of the last 4 drafts, and the result is a position that is both cheap and deep. One of the most interesting roster decisions for the Steelers will be which running backs to keep and which to cut.
It should be exciting to watch McFarland’s role in the offense, as he provides the Stelers with speed and elusiveness that can be utilized in different ways. Re-united with Matt Canada, the head coach for his incredible run at the end of 2018, McFarland may see the field at more positions than just running back.
With McFarland apparently signed, the Steelers have 4 draft picks left to get under contract.
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