The Arizona Cardinals have signed James Conner to a one-year deal, which leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers running back room looking depleted. Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland Jr., and Kalen Ballage remain on the roster, and that order would probably represent the depth chart heading into next season as well.
However, the need at running back isn’t just a necessity in the draft because of James Conner’s departure… Ben Roethlisberger is in a “prove it” year – not in the “Can he play?” sense, but in the “Can he still play?” sense.
The Steelers have all the wide receivers necessary for a quarterback to succeed, but they don’t have a high enough draft pick to get one of the five premier quarterbacks available in the first round, and they don’t seem too keen on trading away assets to move up and get Big Ben’s replacement. If they want success on offense, they have to be able to run the ball.
Where can Steelers find their Conner replacement?
That’s where Travis Etienne comes in. Etienne could have been a day-two pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he opted to return to Clemson for one more season to chase a championship ring that Najee Harris now wears. However, Harris will probably be off the board before the Steelers make the 24th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Even though Harris is the more picture-perfect running back for the Steelers‘ image, Etienne fits into any offensive scheme, and he can provide the electricity in the backfield to rip off long touchdown runs that the team has been missing for years. Simply put – Travis Etienne is a home-run hitter.
Why Etienne is perfect with Steelers
Etienne runs a 4.40 40-yard dash, and he moves with agility and purpose that makes him a premier threat outside the tackles. He could become a three-down back, but he could be most effective being used rotationally with Benny Snell running between the tackles. At his pro day, he racked up a Relative Athletic Score of 9.14.
He works well in the shotgun formation, but he is lacking in pass protection, so his utility status in that regard could become somewhat predictable for defenses. However, he catches the ball very well out of the backfield, and he has the potential to become one of the top running backs in the NFL.
Etienne has been compared to many different NFL running backs over the span of the offseason, with draft experts evoking names like Jamaal Charles and Alvin Kamara when talking about him. If he comes close to being as effective as either of those two, then the Steelers will have found their next great running back.