From now until the 2019 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#6/#24 Ty Johnson/RB Maryland – 5’10 212
The Good
– Good size, added a ton of weight to his frame throughout college (roughly 40 pounds) but carries it well and didn’t lose speed
– Big lower half, able to run through arm tackles with ease
– Home run hitter with excellent speed, serious threat in the open field
– Hits the hole with burst and acceleration, hits the second level quickly
– Speed to outrace defenders, even ones who have the angle, to the edge
– Good leg drive and effort to push the pile, doesn’t go down easy
– Highly productive when healthy and given the opportunity
– Repeatedly made splash plays and rattled off long, game-changing runs
– Shows soft hands as a receiver
– Excellent kick returner who flashed big play ability
– Versatile, lined up at tight end, asked to block in some schemes
– Good starting experience
The Bad
– One-gear runner, struggles to break down and change directions, takes too many steps to gather himself
– Straight-line player without much wiggle, won’t make many miss if he can’t outrun them
– Looks to bounce runs too much, needs to play to strengths and get shoulders square more often, especially in short-yardage situations
– Struggles in pass protection, shows willingness to sacrifice himself but drops eyes and plays with poor techqniue overall
– Difficulty in identifying where blitzers are coming from and will allow free rushers
– Didn’t run varied route tree, mostly flares and flats, caught only a handful of passes in his career
– Allowed to play fresh as part of rotation, didn’t have to be the workhorse and didn’t always look like the best back on his team
– Battled soft tissue injuries in 2018
Bio
– 28 career starts for the Terps
– Career: 348 carries for 2635 yards (7.