Can Eli Heidenreich be more than just a great story for the Steelers?
Anybody who followed the NFL draft knows the story of Eli Heidenreich, the Steelers’ seventh-round pick selected in his hometown. The moment of his selection certainly made for good television, and reporters will produce mileage out of his story. But the question is, will he be a productive contributing football player for his hometown team? That’s what he’s here for, after all.
If you’re reading this, you likely already know the background. Eli Heidenreich is a member of the Navy, a midshipman, who set a Navy school record for receiving yards. But Navy football is unlike what you’ll see in the NFL in many ways, making it difficult for scouts to translate what they see. Heidenreich has measurables similar to Christian McCaffrey, but many players who never accomplish anything have measurables similar to Hall of Famers. Remember Mapletron, because Chase Claypool had measurables comparable to Calvin Johnson?
But the talent being there is always a good starting point, and we probably don’t have to worry about Eli Heidenreich’s coachability and discipline. If he’s willing to give everything to his NFL career, he certainly could have one. That is, if the Steelers and their coaching staff can develop him and deploy him appropriately.
First thing’s first, and that’s finding a roster spot. The Steelers list Heidenreich as both running back and wide receiver, though he worked with the backs at rookie minicamp. There is plenty of time for them to move him around and figure out how he can help the team though. Certainly, special teams will have to be a part of that, because he likely won’t be an every-down back. Not this year, obviously, with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle ahead of him. Plus, there’s Kaleb Johnson, last year’s third-round pick, whom we shouldn’t yet write off completely.
Finding a contributor of any kind late in the draft is always a win, so Heidenreich doesn’t need to be the next Christian McCaffrey to be a success. But what type of NFL career will he have with the Steelers—what will it look like? Assuming he can make the team, what role will he serve, and how much will he play? Not just now, but perhaps a few years from now?
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin resigning.
We’re already deep into the offseason, with free agency and the draft already reshaping rosters. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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