All 90 is a Pittsburgh Steelers Now series profiling each of the 90 members of the Steelers 2022 offseason roster.
24 • Benny Snell Jr., fourth-year running back, Kentucky
5-foot-10, 224 pounds
Acquired: Drafted by the Steelers with the No. 122 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Last season: Snell did his best Maytag repair man impersonation at Najee Harris’ backup in 2022. With Harris playing 84% of the snaps, Snell got just 36 carries for 98 yards on the season and caught two passes for 12 yards — all of which represented career lows. He was also less productive than in years past on a per-chance basis, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.
Career: As a rookie in 2019, Snell earned 108 carries and turned them into 426 yards, for a 3.9 yards per carry average and two touchdowns while backing up James Conner.
Snell got an increased workload in his second professional season in 2020, establishing himself as the team’s top backup. But his productivity waned, as Snell averaged just 3.3 yards per carry on 111 attempts, finishing with 368 yards. He did score four touchdowns, a career high.
College: Snell averaged 5.3 yards per carry during his three seasons at Kentucky, rushing for 3873 yards and 48 touchdowns in his career. He was a freshman All-American in 2016, a two-time All-SEC selection and an All-American in 2018.
Camp outlook: With Kalen Ballage gone, there might theoretically be more carries to go around for backups Snell and Anthony McFarland, but that mostly depends on how much the Steelers choose to use Harris. If he once again dominates the snaps, it could be another quiet year for the rest of the Pittsburgh RB room.
Future: Snell’s rookie contract runs through the end of the 2022 season, after which he will become an unrestricted free agent.
The rest of the 90:
