Jaylen Samuels News

Jaylen Samuels

24-Year-Old Running BackRB

Pittsburgh Steelers

2019 Rush/Rec Stats

ATT

YDS

175

YDS

305

2020 Rush/Rec Projections

ATT

YDS

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2020 Fantasy Outlook

James Conner's injury woes opened the door for Samuels to establish himself as a big part of the future of the Pittsburgh offense, but instead he may have ensured his stint in black and gold is a short one. There was certainly plenty of turmoil around him, but there's simply no excusing a 2.7 YPC, and Samuels made little impact as a receiver either despite a healthy 57 targets. The NC State product's versatility remains his strongest asset, as Samuels can be used as a running back, wildcat quarterback, or get split out as a receiver, but his lack of experience as a runner shows in his poor vision and inability to find the yards his blocking creates for him. Benny Snell's adequate showing as a rookie, and the addition of speedster Anthony McFarland in the 2020 draft, potentially leave Samuels without a defined role in the Steelers' backfield behind Conner, but his receiving skills also give him upside if he can establish some chemistry with a healthy Ben Roethlisberger. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

#230.11

ADP

Overall

Running Back

Bye Week 8

Height 6'0"

Weight 225

DOB 7/20/1996

College North Carolina State

Drafted 5th Rd 2018 #165 Overall

Rejoins teammates

RBPittsburgh Steelers

August 13, 2020

Samuels has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

ANALYSIS
Samuels will join his teammates as practice begins in earnest, thus far having mostly missed out on classroom work and conditioning/strength training. Ed Boucehtte of The Athletic recently suggested Samuels isn't a lock for the regular-season roster, noting that there's tough competition for one or two spots after starter James Conner and rookie fourth-round pick Anthony McFarland. The Steelers also have 2019 fourth-rounder Benny Snell, veteran Wendell Smallwood and 2019 contributors Kerrith Whyte and Trey Edmunds. The final job could come down to special teams value, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for Samuels.

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NFL Stats

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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Advanced NFL Stats

How do Jaylen Samuels' 2019 advanced stats compare to other running backs?

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

Broken Tackle %
The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
Positive Run %
The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
% Yds After Contact
The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
Avg Yds After Contact
The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
Rushing TD %
Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
Touches Per Game
The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
% Snaps w/Touch
The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
Air Yards Per Game
The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
Air Yards Per Snap
The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
% Team Air Yards
The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
% Team Targets
The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
Avg Depth of Target
Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
Catch Rate
The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
Drop Rate
The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
Avg Yds After Catch
The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.

Broken Tackle %

7.6%

Positive Run %

74.2%

% Yds After Contact

77.1%

Avg Yds After Contact

2.0

Rushing TD %

1.5%

Touches Per Game

8.1

% Snaps w/Touch

30.5%

Air Yards Per Game

-3.9

Air Yards Per Snap

-0.15

% Team Air Yards

-1.5%

% Team Targets

11.8%

Avg Depth of Target

-0.9 Yds

Catch Rate

82.5%

Drop Rate

8.8%

Avg Yds After Catch

7.9

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2019

2018

2019 NFL Game Log

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2018 NFL Game Log

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Steelers 2019 RB Snap Distribution See more data like this

J.Jaylen Samuels

J.James Conner

B.Benny Snell

T.Trey Edmunds

K.Kerrith Whyte

T.Tony Brooks-James

% of Team Snaps

370

335

171

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#3 RB

Steelers

View Full Depth Chart

Receiving Alignment Breakdown

See where Jaylen Samuels lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

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Side

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2019 Jaylen Samuels Split Stats

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Jaylen Samuels' measurables compare to other running backs?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Height

6' 0"

Weight

225 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.54 sec

Shuttle Time

4.28 sec

Cone Drill

6.93 sec

Vertical Jump

34.5 in

Broad Jump

121 in

Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jaylen Samuels

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3 days ago

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11 days ago

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20 days ago

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Payne's Perspective: RB Draft Strategy

20 days ago

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Job Battles: Decoding the Rams Tight Ends

34 days ago

Gerald Everett disappeared from the Rams offense after suffering an injury, but the injury isn't why he found himself on the bench. Also features breakdown of Pittsburgh and Atlanta RBs.

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2019

2018

Le'Veon Bell's protracted exit from Pittsburgh put James Conner in the lead role for most of last year, but Samuels also got his chances to shine. The rookie didn't see an offensive snap until Week 5 and didn't see double-digit snaps until Week 10, but after Conner went down late in the season Samuels exploded for 142 rushing yards in a win over the Patriots. The NC State product checks in at 6-0, 225, and while he doesn't run with as much power as his frame would suggest, he has good speed and receiving skills and can line up in the backfield, in the slot or out wide. He also showed surprising vision and patience last season despite his limited experience as a ballcarrier, after playing a mixture of running back, H-back and tight end in college. Conner returns as the No. 1 and the Steelers added Benny Snell in the fourth round of the draft, but Samuels is positioned once again to be the team's top backup, as well as a versatile option in situations when the team's pass-happy offense wants to keep the opposition guessing.

Calling Samuels a running back likely misstates his role in the NFL, as he may not do a whole lot of rushing. At 5-11, 225, the NC State product put up an eyebrow-raising 4.54 40 time at the Combine after spending the majority of his college career as an H-back. Taken by the Steelers in the fifth round, Samuels could find himself lining up all over the field as a slot receiver, fullback, tight end or H-back. His skills as a receiver will make him a mismatch against most linebackers, and his ability to get some power behind his pads could also allow him to be an option on goal-line plunges in between his bubble screens and jet sweeps. New coordinator Randy Fichtner has been on the Pittsburgh staff since 2007 - Ben Roethlisberger's fourth season in the NFL - and his experience could prove invaluable as the offense tries to find a way to best utilize its new toy.

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