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With the 124th overall pick, the Steelers select RB Anthony McFarland

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By CJ Lester SteelerNation.com The*Pittsburgh Steelers*have made their first of two fourth round draft selections. With the 124th overall pick, the Steelers select RB Anthony McFarland out of Maryland. McFarland adds depth to a running back room that struggled gaining yards due to multiple factors last season.   How do you feel about the Steelers […]

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He will be used to return kicks. He's too small to play rb.
 
Early years[edit]

McFarland attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. He did not play football his senior season of high school due to injury.[1] Despite this he was still a Under Armour All-American.[2] He committed to the University of Maryland to play college football.[3]

College career[edit]

McFarland Jr. redshirted his first year at Maryland in 2017. He played for the first time in two years in 2018.[4][5] He started five of 12 games, rushing for 1,034 yards on 131 carries with four touchdowns. In 2019, he rushed for 614 yards on 114 carries and eight touchdowns. After the season, he entered the 2020 NFL Draft, forgoing his final two seasons.[6][7]

smh
 
He was a 6th rd projection but I think the Steelers wanted Perine from FL, a more balanced all around RB, and grabbed who they could, thats what took so long for the pick
 
Why draft him when you already have Whyte in the backfield? I doubt he is any better than Whyte and the Steelers never used him even though he was putting up some nice runs. I was hoping for some offensive lineman. They must like what they have, but I didn't think the OL played well last year. They are getting long in the tooth and could use some upgrades. They must be very comfortable with their plan to replace Foster, but I'm not as convinced. I was actually hoping for Cushenberry with the 2nd pick. I think Pouncey has seen his better days, and would cut his *** if he plays this year like he did last year. But that's me!
 
HEIGHT
WEIGHT
ARMS
5' 8"
208 lbs
30 3/8”
HANDS
8 7/8”

McFarland runs hard, but he's not that big and he's not that creative, so he could struggle to find yardage for himself. A high-ankle sprain may have been at the root of his unimpressive 2019 tape, as he showed a little better burst and tackle-breaking ability in 2018, but in both seasons he needed either clear points of entry or to be operating in open space to get it going. His projection can't just rely on a couple of splash performances from 2018. He appears to have low-end backup potential, but it's worth noting that some NFL teams are much higher on him.

Strengths

Better 2018 tape due to high-ankle sprain in 2019
Has build-up speed to run away from tacklers
Had runs of 75, 81, and 52 yards against Ohio State in 2018
Accelerates into contact behind pads
Agility to sidestep foot traffic
Able to stack cuts on top of cuts
Decisive runner between the tackles
Adjusts to off-target throws out of backfield
Capable ball tracker on wheel routes

Weaknesses

Runs on tiptoes on stretch plays
Slow to gather in cut
Lacks desired feel for run lane development
Needs plenty of space to operate
Unable to slow feet and then reignite quickly
Doesn't have bend to unleash lower-body power
Runs hard but has below-average drive through contact
Not enough sand in his pants to trust protection skills

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/anthony-mcfarland?id=32194d43-4650-9831-455d-4f5daa13de76
 
He's been injury prone, but fast. Can run outside, inside he won't do well in the NFL. This is what you get when you pass on backs in round 2, and not one of the potential starter types fall to you in rounds three.
 
Our backs dont matter if the D is in the backfield. I do not understand the draft strategy here....Only thing I can think of is they are banking on Ben taking some pressure off the Oline and defenses not loading up upfront?
 
Not a fan of this pick. Needed a NT or S here. Not to mention McFarland was a bit of reach. Has some explosiveness and I'm glad they're adding that to the backfield. But this is kinda cringey
 
Well our backs are slow....
 
jitter77 said:
Our backs dont matter if the D is in the backfield. I do not understand the draft strategy here....Only thing I can think of is they are banking on Ben taking some pressure off the Oline and defenses not loading up upfront?
Click to expand...

I truly think that was the entire issue last year. That and the backups lack of ability to adjust the line and audible correctly.


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Spike said:
He was a 6th rd projection but I think the Steelers wanted Perine from FL, a more balanced all around RB, and grabbed who they could, thats what took so long for the pick
Click to expand...
Totally different styles of players. Makes no sense if you miss out on a bruiser to then go scat back
 
Could be a steal when all is said and done.

Looks a lot like Jamal Charles and would have been drafted higher without the ankle issues that affected last season.
 
I like the player. Not exactly where I wanted him, though. Adds the element of speed and more importantly brings something different to our backfield. I think Matt Canada has some new ideas for this offense and has directly knowledge of what McFarland can bring.
 
nooneuno said:
Totally different styles of players. Makes no sense if you miss out on a bruiser to then go scat back
Click to expand...

Oh I know, but when all the teams were picking bam bam bam bam bam, then, Perine was taken a couple picks ahead, suddenly the Steelers were on the clock, and time froze, tick tick tick, to the last nanosecond, I could feel the flopsweat building in the Steelers war room, like they just got cuckolded again, you knew they were in panic mode.

I didnt say it was a wise decision, just had that feeling, I knew they were gonna reach hard, lol
 
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