Steelers Draft Needs: Running Back - Black -n- Gold Not as Bad Off as You Think

Running back brings a case where both Steelers front office and the pundits might be both wrong.

Mike Tomlin has gone on record saying the Steelers need to improve the talent they have at running back. With Rashard Mendenhall coming back form injury too soon in 2012, Tomlin opened the door for either Jonathan Dwyer or Isaac Redman to seize the starting role.

• Both men fumbled the opportunity….

… Strictly speaking that is. In fact, as Steel Curtain Rising has said time and time again, after Willie Colon settled into his new position at guard and before he got hurt (again) the Steelers running game was looking better than it had in years, certainly since 2007.

• When Colon got hurt, so did the running game.

On top of that, Redman started the year injured, and Dwyer was nursing injures for much of the season as well.

• The Steelers have two capable runners. 

But even if that is true, the Steelers still need to draft a running back, perhaps early. Dwyer and Redman may be capable, but both are in the final year of their contracts, and neither seems to be the proverbial “Feature Back” which was once so fundamental to NFL success.

Baron Batch might develop into serviceable running back. He could conceivably the second coming of Mewelde Moore, which would not be a bad thing for a former 7th round pick. Unfortunately at this point he's more notable for his amazing human interest story and his blocking abilities.

So the Steelers do need to add talent and depth at running back, but perhaps not as early or as urgently as most argue.

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