Last year when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Jaylen Samuels in the 5th round of the 2018 NFL Draft, fans weren’t expecting much. There were some lofty expectations placed on him by the fan base in hopes of him becoming an ‘X-factor’ type player, but strictly as a running back expectations were low.
After all, Samuels had never rushed for 100 yards in any game at any level, even High School.
When James Conner was injured vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, no one knew what to expect in Samuels as a primary backup — then he rattled off 142 yards on the ground against the New England Patriots in Week 15.