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The Steelers have reached out to Denver about the star receiver

The Pittsburgh Steelers have reached out to the Denver Broncos and inquired about wide receiver Courtland Sutton, per source. Now, this doesn’t mean that a trade is absolutely happening, but Pittsburgh has at least opened the lines of communication and opened the door to the possibility of acquiring Sutton.

Sutton is currently seeking a new deal, as his current deal only has $2 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract.

The star receiver is coming off a career-high in touchdown passes in 2023 (10), and I’m told his relationship with Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson is very good.

Sutton’s cap hit for 2023 is right around $17.4 million, and the Steelers restructured the deal of Alex Highsmith today to free up $7 million in cap space, taking them to just over $18 million in available money to spend.

Sutton has 298 receptions in 69 career games, and was a Pro Bowler in 2019 when he caught 72 passes for over 1,100 yards.

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The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off with Round 1 on Thursday, April 24, with plenty of question marks for the Pittsburgh Steelers amidst a slew of draft needs — big ones, at that.

The biggest need of all lies along the offensive line, where left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and center Mason Cole struggled mightily in the 2023 season, combining for a whopping 93 total pressures last year, per PFF. As such, a major focus of most NFL mock drafts has been offensive line, with prospects Georgia OT Amarius Mims, Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke IOL Graham Barton among some of the most popular options.

Elsewhere, there’s a need at wide receiver following the departure of Diontae Johnson via trade this offseason, which has made LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. a popular selection.

So, let’s presume the Steelers are on the clock with the 20th overall pick and each of the following options are on the board. Whose name are you running to the podium on behalf of the Pittsburgh Steelers? Vote now and circle back to find out BTSC’s consensus fan pick ahead of Round 1.

Not sure who deserves your vote? Learn more about these prospects by checking out each of their scouting reports!

• WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
• C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
• IOL Graham Barton, Duke
• OT Amarius Mims, Georgia

Could Pittsburgh be preparing for a big roster move ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft?

Per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Steelers have restructured the contract of pass-rusher Alex Highsmith, gaining over $7 million in cap space.

The move comes the day before the 2024 NFL Draft, giving the Steelers some wiggle room in the case of a big roster move over the next few days.

Highsmith signed a four-year, $68 million extension with Pittsburgh in 2023 following a breakout season with 14.5 sacks. According to Over The Cap, he was slated to have a $13,933,000 cap hit in 2024.

Per Over The Cap, the Steelers currently have $11,139,353 in cap space. With the Highsmith restructure, they’ll now have closer to $18 million available. Pittsburgh has been linked to a number of high profile trade targets over the past few months, notably at wide receiver.

With enough cap space to sign their rookie class prior to the restructure, the move should raise some eyebrows in NFL circles. The Steelers could indeed just be creating “a little breathing room,” but there’s a chance that the team could be preparing for something bigger.

Pittsburgh has a choice to make with the 20th overall pick.

The Pittsburgh Steelers could go in several directions with their draft picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The only areas that one could argue they don’t need to address are kicker, punter, tight end, and running back. Even after they added quarterback Russell Wilson and traded for quarterback Justin Fields, questions remain there regarding the future at the position. It’s also possible they overestimated their ability to replace wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who they traded to the Carolina Panthers in early March.

With this many needs in play, the Steelers could opt against accepting any offers they may have, and let the chips fall to them in Round 1, where they hold the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft. There’s also the argument that an aggressive trade-up is needed to “get your guy.” However, they have needs everywhere. Or, they could elect to trade down and pick up additional capital.

Before exploring the best-case scenario for the black and gold, let’s take a look at the Steelers’ biggest needs approaching Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Steelers draft needs in 2024

1. Center — The Steelers don’t have an opening day option that could come and start for them. They may not even have quality depth.
2. Cornerback — The Steelers don’t have much if any depth behind Joey Porter Jr. and the other presumed starter Donte Jackson.
3. Wide receiver — It’s George Pickens and… barely anybody else. That’s not going to get it done. They need another option in the mix alongside Pickens, newly acquired Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III.
4. Offensive tackle — If the Steelers are serious about making a championship run, they need to get Dan Moore Jr. onto the bench and out of the starting lineup. As soon as possible.
5. Defensive line — Both Larry Ogunjobi and stalwart Cam Heyward could both be gone in 2025, leaving just former second-round pick Keeanu Benton in play as a starter.
6. Inside linebacker — The Steelers have to add to the group with a draft pick.

The argument for the Steelers staying put at pick No. 20

The option of staying put at their current draft selections is a reasonable one. Several NFL teams are in a desperate search for their franchise quarterback. They will be jockeying to get up to the top of the draft to be in a position to select one of the upper-echelon options.

USC quarterback Caleb Williams is fully expected to be the first quarterback drafted at the number one overall pick. After that is for sure when business will start to pick up, with UNC quarterback Drake Maye and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels as the best of the remaining options at the position. Even though the rest of the falls off a bit after those three players, that never stops teams from being over-aggressive and forcing the issue by over-drafting quarterbacks, with plenty of teams like the Vikings, Raiders and Broncos who could be in the mix.

That will push talent down the draft board, meaning that the Steelers could have their choice of players they want to choose from in the first round of the draft on Thursday, April 26, 2024. If the Steelers decide to finally address their hole at the center position, they should have their choice of options available at pick No. 20. Or, they could turn to some of their other needs and decide to look elsewhere. In Round 1, there’s still the argument that the Steelers can do just about whatever they want to do, even picking as late as No. 20.

The argument for trading back

The Steelers may give some consideration to trading down in the 2024 NFL Draft, especially in Round 1. They do not have a selection in either rounds five or seven. They will have to wait for 58 selections to occur between their fourth-round selection pick number 119, and their sixth-round selection number 178. That is a long time between draft picks, and the team has several needs they still need to address.

Trading back a couple of times would give them the flexibility to be able to hit on those additional needs. There’s not only the needs that they have, but they also need to add some depth across several areas of the team.

The argument for trading up

Fortune favors the bold. It would make more sense to hit the more pressing needs at the center, cornerback, wide receiver, and tackle with higher quality options with players who wouldn’t otherwise be available later by standing pat. The team has become more aggressive than seemingly ever this off-season with the moves they have made. They should carry that mindset into the 2024 NFL Draft if they identify several players they feel they have to have. Then they should do whatever need to do to come out of the draft with as many names from that list as possible

Arguably, a quantity-over-quality approach will not get this team over the hump. For starters, they need to get much more out of the center position than they have gotten the past three seasons with Mason Cole. Do they need the next great Steelers center? Maybe, but even if they don’t opt for one in Round 1, they can find a long-term, competent option with a much higher ceiling in Round 2 or later.

So…

With the Steelers likely double dipping at corner this year, let’s look at the options.

After months of speculation, draft season is winding to a close as the event we’ve all been waiting for plays out this weekend. That rush of air you hear is the collective exhale of football content creators everywhere.

The Steelers‘ needs heading into the draft are well-documented at this point. If you’re looking to catch up or do some last-minute prospect obsessing, I’ve already looked at potential mid-to-late round targets at offensive tackle, interior offensive line, wide receiver, edge rusher and defensive line.

That just leaves cornerback. Pittsburgh is stronger there than at other positions with Joey Porter Jr. showing he might be a franchise cornerstone after an impressive rookie season. The Steelers also traded for Donte Jackson who can provide solid coverage as the team’s second cornerback if he’s able to stay healthy. However, Jackson is only under contract for the 2024 season and not a player I project Pittsburgh handing an expensive contract after this season. Behind those two, things are much shakier with unproven talent making up the rest of the roster.

The Steelers should strongly consider double dipping at corner in this draft with a need at nickel corner and a potential replacement for Jackson in 2025.

Khyree Jackson, Oregon

Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 24 (turns 25 in August)

Height/weight: 6’3, 194 pounds

Arm Length: 32 3/4″

RAS: 7.86

At nearly 6’4 and touting similar dimensions to Porter, Khyree Jackson is one of the more physically imposing cornerback prospects in this draft class.

The Steelers love tall, long-armed corners that excel in press coverage, and that’s Jackson’s bread and butter. He’s quicker than he is fast, but Pittsburgh has shown they aren’t bothered by “slow” 40-yard dash times like Jackson’s 4.50 mark.

There’s a lot to like about Jackson’s game and he’s my favorite corner prospect projected to be taken outside of the first round. I love corners who act like a menace on the field and get under opposing players’ skin, and in that regard, Jackson has what the kids would call “that dawg” in him.

While press-man coverage is his calling card, he’s shown strong instincts in off-man and zone coverage as well. In his final year in college, teams only targeted him 36 times and he surrendered just 188 yards while adding three interceptions. He’s enthusiastic and aggressive providing support in run defense, even if his tackling could be more consistent. And while he wasn’t asked to blitz much in college, he has the mentality and skills to do so should Pittsburgh want to get creative.

Jackson’s biggest red flag is his age. Starting his college career in 2019 at the junior college level, Jackson’s path to the NFL included two seasons at Alabama before transferring to Oregon for his final season. The fact that he’ll be 25 years old when the season starts is partly why he could be available late on Day 2 of the draft. Normally I’d write off a prospect as old as Jackson, but there was just too much to like on his film. That type of concern should eliminate him from being a first or second-round pick, but it is far less concerning the deeper you get in the draft. He might be a one-contract type of player for Pittsburgh, but he’s ready to start immediately should the Steelers want to get creative in subpackages or need to cover for an injury.

Andru Phillips, Kentucky

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 22 (turns 23 in November)

Height/weight: 5’11, 190 pounds

Arm Length: 31 1/4″

RAS: 8.13

Andru Phillips should be a name Steelers fans recognize at this point as he is one of the players Pittsburgh has brought in for a pre-draft visit. Once thought to be a fringe third or fourth-rounder, Phillips has seen some buzz as a possible second-round pick as the draft cycle has dragged on.

Phillips has been described in draft circles as the type of player whose best football might still be ahead of him after starting two seasons at Kentucky. He’s another prospect who plays with a notable edge on the field and those are the type of players you like to bet on when they also show off their athletic traits on tape.

Phillips has the long arms Pittsburgh prefers and projects as a player who can play outside at the NFL level, but could thrive in the nickel. His willingness to tackle and play physically should aid him there if Pittsburgh wants to move him inside. Phillips hasn’t generated as many turnovers as you’d like, but interceptions are a highly volatile stat and I’d take feisty, sound coverage every time and worry about his hands later.

Renardo Green, Florida State

Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 23

Height/weight: 6’0, 186 pounds

Arm Length: 31 1/4″

RAS: 8.21

Renardo Green is a prospect who projects as a pure press-man corner and he has shown versatility — a trait we know Mike Tomlin likes — by getting on the field early on in his college career as a safety.

Green’s most impressive film came this year against LSU and its two potential first-round wide receivers, Malik Nabors and Brian Thomas Jr.

The statline against LSU was impressive, but he isn’t without his blemishes. In the instances where he does gets beat off the press, he can struggle to track the ball while he is recovering the ground he gave up. He’s not a burner, checking in with similar 4.50 speed to other prospects the Steelers could target. That said, he excels at sticking to the receiver’s hip on shallow and intermediate routes and could be a useful player in Pittsburgh’s scheme.

Nehemiah Pritchett, Auburn

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Age: 23

Height/weight: 6’0, 190 pounds

Arm Length: 31 5/8″

RAS: 7.79

Of the prospects we’re looking at today, Nehemiah Prichett is easily the fastest. Clocking in with a 4.36 40-time, you can easily gauge his speed on tape, especially when he’s breaking on throws from off-coverage. In addition to that, he checks a lot of the same boxes with long arms and sticky coverage in press.

Pritchett also got a ton of playing time in college, playing in 46 games across five seasons. He’s on tape playing in a variety of coverage styles that makes him reliable in any scenario Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Teryl Austin — formerly the Steelers’ secondary coach — could deploy him in. He doesn’t have the ball production you’d like with just three interceptions in college, but he has a knack for getting his hands in the way of the receiver with 24 pass breakups. You’ll live with that from your second-string corner.

Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Louisville

Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Age: 22 (turns 23 in July)

Height/weight: 5’10, 194 pounds

Arm Length: 31 1/4”

RAS: 4.62

Sometimes when you throw a prospect’s tape on, you can’t help seeing the potential even if they aren’t the most refined. That’s the case with Lousiville’s Jarvis Brownlee Jr. You might notice that Brownlee has the lowest RAS of any prospect I’ve written about in this series. Truth be told, I nearly didn’t write about him for that very reason. But what can I say? Brownlee Jr. plays the cornerback position like he’s in a street fight, and damn it, I like that competitive fire. His 4.51 40-time is not prohibitive and while you’d have liked to have seen more explosiveness in his broad jump, that isn’t a dealbreaker for me.

While the hope is he can develop into a capable starting press corner, NFL.com projects him as a potential fourth-round pick who could immediately be an impact player on special teams. That’s an underrated need for the Steelers after some key offseason departures like Miles Boykin. Brownlee could also potentially kick inside to nickel where he’d be a plus run defender fairly soon.

Brownlee’s college coaches describe him as a hard-working guy dedicated to the process of making sure his body is in the best condition he can have it. That’s an NFL mentality. Sign me up if it only takes a Day Three pick to get him in the building.

Myles Harden, South Dakota

Age: Unknown

Height/weight: 5’11, 195 pound

Arm Length: 29 7/8″

RAS: 8.30

Myles Harden two big knocks are that his arms are a little shorter than you’d like for a press corner and he played at a small school. He’s also better in zone coverage than at man at this point.

But like other prospects on this list, the young man plays with some demonstratable fire. While he had six career interceptions at the FCS level, his best trait is he’s a willing tackler with some impressive hits on tape. This rep against Mizzou had me literally laughing out loud as he threw the receiver out of the club on his way to tackle the running back in the flat. I guess it doesn’t always mean more in the SEC!

Projected as a seventh-rounder or priority undrafted free agent, Harden has that same swagger and grit that I like investing in once you reach the late rounds of the draft. Similar to Brownlee Jr., I could see an immediate special teams role for Harden while he waits to see snaps at corner.

What do you think? Do any of these players seem like Steelers to you? Did I miss any of your favorite prospects? Let us know in the comments and enjoy the draft this weekend!

An round-by-round and positional ranking of top 30 visits

The Steelers head into the draft with several needs to be addressed. As part of the evaluation process, they had official visits with six local players and the maximum of 30 from out of town. The prospects that visited are expected to go anywhere from the first round to undrafted. Mock Draft Database compiles hundreds of mocks from other sources to find the average predicted spot for every player, continually updating as new mocks come in. Using their Consensus Big Board, we list in order the expected draft position for the Steelers’ top 30 visitors (plus the six locals). Following the round-by-round list will be a listing by position.

The Steelers head into the draft holding picks at Nos. 20, 51, 84, 98, 119, 178, and 195.

Steelers’ pre-draft visitors by round

First Round

• No. 16 Taliese Fuaga (Offensive Tackle, Oregon State)
• No. 19 Cooper DeJean (Cornerback, Iowa)
• No. 20 Troy Fautanu, (Offensive Tackle, Washington)
• No. 22 Nate Wiggins (Cornerback, Clemson)
• No. 23 Amarius Mims (Offensive Tackle, Georgia)
• No. 25 Graham Barton (Center, Duke)
• No. 27 Adonai Mitchell (Wide Receiver, Texas)
• No. 29 Jackson Powers-Johnson (Center, Oregon)
• No. 30 Tyler Guyton (Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma)

Second Round

• No. 33 Ladd McConkey (Wide Receiver, Georgia)
• No. 35 Darius Robinson (Edge*, Missouri) *also played defensive tackle
• No. 42 Zach Frazier (Center, West Virginia)
• No. 43 Ricky Pearsall (Wide Receiver, Florida)
• No. 44 Payton Wilson (Linebacker, North Carolina State)
• No. 46 Braden Fiske (Defensive Tackle, Florida State)
• No. 49 Xavier Legette (Wide Receiver, South Carolina)
• No. 59 Max Melton (Cornerback, Rutgers)
• No. 60 Junior Colson (Linebacker, Michigan)
• No. 62 Malachi Corley (Wide Receiver, Western Kentucky)

Third Round

• No. 80 Maason Smith (Defensive Tackle, LSU)
• No. 86 Blake Fisher (Offensive Tackle, Notre Dame)
• No. 89 Andru Phillips (Cornerback, Kentucky)

Fourth Round

• No. 119 Tykee Smith (Safety, Georgia)
• No. 134 Luke McCaffrey (Wide Receiver, Rice)

Fifth Round

• No. 136 Mason McCormick (Center, South Dakota State)
• No. 138 Matt Goncalves (Offensive Tackle, Pitt)
• No. 162 Hunter Nourzad (Center, Penn State)
• No. 175 Khristian Boyd (Defensive Tackle, Northern Iowa)

Sixth Round

• No. 180 Tahj Washington (Wide Receiver, USC)
• No. 216 MJ Devonshire (Cornerback, Pitt)

Seventh Round

• No. 231 Jaden Crumedy (Defensive Tackle, Mississippi State)
• No. 235 Logan Lee (Defensive Tackle, Iowa)

Undrafted

• No. 266 Daequan Hardy (Cornerback, Penn State)
• No. 272 Travis Glover (Offensive Tackle, Georgia State)
• No. 302 Beanie Bishop (Cornerback, West Virginia)
• No. 380 Steven Jones (Guard, Oregon)

Steelers pre-draft visitors by position

Center

• No. 25 Graham Barton, Duke
• No. 29 Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
• No. 42 Zach Frazier, West Virginia
• No. 136 Mason McCormick, South Dakota State
• No. 162 Hunter Nourzad, Penn State

Guard

• No. 380 Steven Jones, Oregon

Tackle

• No. 16 Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
• No. 20 Troy Fautanu, Washington
• No. 23 Amarius Mims, Georgia
• No. 30 Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma
• No. 86 Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
• No. 138 Matt Goncalves, Pitt
• No. 272 Travis Glover, Georgia State

Wide Receiver

• No. 27 Adonai Mitchell, Texas
• No. 33 Ladd McConkey, Georgia
• No. 43 Ricky Pearsall, Florida
• No. 49 Xavier Lagette, South Carolina
• No. 62 Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
• No. 134 Luke McCaffrey, Rice
• No. 180 Tahj Washington, USC

Defensive Line

• No. 35 Darius Robinson, Missouri
• No. 46 Braden Fiske, Florida State
• No. 80 Maason Smith, LSU
• No. 175 Khristian Boyd, Northern Iowa
• No. 231 Jaden Crumedy, Mississippi State
• No. 235 Logan Lee, Iowa

Linebacker

• No. 44 Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
• No. 60 Junior Colson, Michigan

Cornerback

• No. 19 Cooper DeJean, Iowa
• No. 22 Nate Wiggins, Clemson
• No. 59 Max Melton, Rutgers
• No. 89 Andru Phillips, Kentucky
• No. 216 MJ Devonshire, Pitt
• No. 266 Daequan Hardy, Penn State
• No. 302 Beanie Bishop, West Virginia

Safety

• No. 119 Tykee Smith, Georgia

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says watch out for Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the center of attention when it comes to the wide receiver market this offseason.

They traded away former third-round pick Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, and have been connected to Brandon Aiyuk for the better part of a month with multiple reports saying they have reached out to the San Francisco 49ers about acquiring the star receiver.

Aiyuk isn’t the only receiver the Steelers have their eyes on, though. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Pittsburgh may end up being the ultimate destination for Denver Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton.

“Denver has received several trade calls on him,” Fowler writes. “Pittsburgh could be a team to watch here.”

Fowler also notes that the Broncos haven’t planned on trading Sutton. However, the top-notch receiver is seeking a new contract with the Broncos. The price for Sutton would be less than that of Aiyuk. Should Pittsburgh go that route, they would address their need at receiver, and also be able to hold onto all of their top draft picks.

We heard in March it was highly unlikely the Steelers would exercise the fifth-year option on Justin Fields‘ rookie contract. With the option deadline coming in just more than a week, Pittsburgh indeed appears to have no plans of committing to guaranteed Fields money in 2025.

The Steelers are expected to decline an option that would pay Fields $25.7MM fully guaranteed next year, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Teams have until May 2 to exercise or decline options; this has loomed as one of the more predictable option calls for a bit now.

Fields’ value around the league turned out to be far lower than many expected, as the Bears ended up settling for a conditional sixth-round pick for a player who has proven electric as a runner but inconsistent as a passer through three seasons. Still, the Steelers made it clear upon acquiring Fields, 25, they expect him to begin the season as a backup to Russell Wilson. Mike Tomlin has since pried the door open for competition, but as of now, the trade acquisition is on track to go from three-year Chicago starter to Pittsburgh backup.

Both Wilson and Fields, when the option is officially declined, will be going into contract years in 2024. The former signed for the veteran minimum, barely cutting into the record-setting dead money sum the Broncos face. Fields is under contract for $1.62MM this season. Because Fields never made a Pro Bowl but qualified as a full-time player under the option formula, his option number checked in on Tier 3 of the four-tiered structure that came about when the 2020 CBA ushered in fully guaranteed options.

While the Steelers have both Wilson and Fields in contract years, a March report suggested the team is considering keeping both players beyond 2024. This would be a highly unlikely scenario to pull off, given the starting histories each player brings. Neither would stand to be interested in being an assured backup in 2025. This makes a potential 2024 trade worth monitoring; the Steelers have Kyle Allen in place as their third-stringer presently.

With the team not planning to adjust a negotiating policy that mandates no in-season contract talks, Wilson and Fields will be set to play out their current deals. The Steelers are interested in revisiting Wilson’s pact, for now at least, in 2025. It will be interesting to see how Fields factors into this equation, seeing as he is 10 years younger than Wilson, who will turn 36 this season.

Now, Fields will hit free agency in 2025.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not expected to pick up the fifth-year option for quarterback Justin Fields, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday.

That effectively makes him a free agent in 2025, playing on a one-year deal alongside veteran Russell Wilson following his tumultuous run in Chicago. The fifth-year option for the former No. 11 pick would have cost the team $25.664 million, per Over The Cap.

Even if the Steelers do not end up signing Fields to a long-term deal (whether as a starter or a backup), the move was a no-brainer considering the limited compensation involved. Pittsburgh sent a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick that can become a fourth-round pick if he plays more than 51% of offensive snaps this season — not a bad price for a massive upgrade, at worst, for a backup quarterback, or at best, for a potential high-upside starter.

As one of the most prolific rushing quarterbacks in recent seasons, Fields’ passing stats have left plenty to be desired. However, he is coming off a season posting a career-high 197.1 passing yards per game, completing passes at a 61.4% clip to complement an additional 50.5 rush yards per game. After a bit of a touchdown drought during the tenure of former quarterback Kenny Pickett, Steelers fans can rest easy considering Fields’ 4.2% career touchdown rate. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to compete with veteran Russell Wilson for the starting job and an eventual contract extension with the Steelers, should they view him as a long-term option.

After acquiring Fields from the Chicago Bears in March, the Steelers now have two decisions to make regarding the fifth-year option this year, the other being running back Najee Harris, who they drafted with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. There has been no consensus word regarding their decision for Harris, with a decision due by the Tuesday, May 2 deadline.

Based on the playing time incentive, Harris’ fifth-year option is set at $6.79 million. That average annual value (AAV) would rank 12th among running backs, which should make that a relatively easy decision for Pittsburgh. Despite playing behind a shaky offensive line in one of the league’s worst offenses, Harris has ranked fourth among running backs with 3,269 rushing yards and 10th with 21 rushing touchdowns, though his efficiency has left something to be desired.