2024 NFL Draft prospect profile: Carson Steele, RB, UCLA

Is Steele being overlooked?

The 2024 NFL Draft has an interesting running back class. It lacks the star power and upside of the 2023 running back class, and it’s certainly being overshadowed by a stellar wide receiver class.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a bad, or even weak, class. There are some talented backs who can fill a wide variety of schemes and needs in this class. However, those backs could get pushed down draft boards due to the talent around them, which might mean that teams could find some incredible values in this year’s class.

UCLA running back Carson Steele could be one such player. In addition to having a fantastic name for a football player, Steele combines great size with the kind of athleticism that got him a mention on Bruce Feldman’s “Freak’s List”. Steele started his career as a dominant back at Ball State, before transferring to UCLA prior to the 2023 season. He took a seeming step back as a part of the Bruins’ running back rotation, and wasn’t invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. That said, he has the skill set to make that look like a poor decision on the NFL’s part.

The New York Giants have scouted the Pac-12 pretty heavily this year. Could Steele be on their radar to help fill out their running back position?

Prospect: Carson Steele (33)
Games Watched: vs. Coastal Carolina (2023), vs. Utah (2023), vs. Oregon State (2023)

Measurables

Height: 6-foot
Weight: 223 pounds

Strengths

• Size
• Play strength
• Downhill running
• Burst
• Passing down play

Carson Steele is a big, powerful, athletic, and versatile running back. Steele has great size for a modern offense at 6-foot, 228 pounds, and combines that size with a strong burst, surprising quickness, and solid speed in the open field.

He’s an efficient and decisive runner behind the line of scrimmage who understands his blocking scheme and how to set up his blocks. Steele does a good job of manipulating his tempo and path behind the line of scrimmage to influence defenders’ angles and help out his blockers. He has a good burst and solid acceleration through the hole and is an obviously powerful runner. Steele is difficult for lone defenders to bring down once he gets moving and consistently churns (or falls forward) for extra yards after initial contact.

He isn’t a particularly instinctive runner, but he anticipates contact well and has good balance when that contact lands above his knees. He’s able to run through arm tackles or incidental contact around the line of scrimmage well-enough, and is very difficult for smaller defenders to bring down once he gets going.

Steele is a useful player on passing downs and is a capable blocker as well as receiver. His size and strength allow him to blow up blitzing defensive backs, hold up against linebackers, and lose slowly against edge defenders. He flashes good technique as a blocker, though he needs to get more consistent in that area. Steele is a reliable receiver out of the backfield who’s able to execute wheel and angle routes well, and does a good job of making himself available as a checkdown target. He’s capable of delivering solid chips when releasing into routes, and presents a good target to his quarterback, and has soft hands.

Weaknesses

• Lower body fluidity
• Agility
• Long speed

Steele’s weaknesses stem from the fact that he’s a relatively stiff and upright runner.

While he isn’t overly tall at just over 6-foot, Steele runs with a very upright posture and doesn’t appear to have the lower body flexibility to lower his center of gravity. That can lead to several problems that limit him in certain ways.

To start, he can be awkward when forced to suddenly change his direction, as in cutbacks. He’s often seen with an arm flailing when trying to cut at speed, likely to help keep his balance. That balance can be upset when running through trash around the line of scrimmage, and contact below his knees can often send him to the ground. Likewise, Steele doesn’t really drop his hips when cutting, and while he’s pretty quick for a big back, he isn’t really agile because of that same stiffness. He’s unable to really explode when changing directions, and his upright running gives defenders a relatively large strike zone, and once again over-balances him and leading to slips.

That also limits him to being a one-cut, downhill runner who is relatively easy to stop if the defense can force him to stop his feet or cut back.

Steele also has relatively average long speed. He’s able to pick up chunk yardage, but isn’t able to truly run away from most defenders.

Game Tape

(Steele is UCLA RB number 33)

Projection

Carson Steele projects as a rotational back at the NFL level. He’s well-rounded enough that teams would never have to take him off the field and he can contribute in most situations. That said, they might want to pair him with a smaller, faster back who might be better able to create explosive plays between the 20’s.

Steele’s burst and play strength should make him an effective back in short-yardage and Red Zone situations, while his upside in the passing game should appeal to most modern offenses. He’d likely be at his best on a team that primarily relies on downhill running to counterweight a spread (or spread influenced) passing attack. Offenses that pass out of heavy personnel and use condensed formations to create traffic for pass defenses might want to look elsewhere. Steele is the type of player that offenses can use to punish defenses that use light boxes and very small subpackages.

Does he fit the Giants?

Yes. Steele is a versatile and well-rounded back who can fill a number of roles.

Final Word: An early Day 3 value.