carson steele

Carson Steele transferred to UCLA before the 2023 season after putting up 1722 total yards and 15 touchdowns at Ball State in 2022. Steele got less opportunity at UCLA, but still had a solid season with 1010 yards and 8 touchdowns. 

He is a ball of muscle who seeks out and bounces off of contact. He is very difficult to bring down and I love how he fights for extra yards. He's got active feet and likes to hit cutback lanes. I wouldn't say his short area burst and lateral quickness are elite, but they look serviceable. He seems to do alright in pass protection but he does not excel. However, he does have the tools to be a better pass blocker and I think we have every reason to believe he can improve in that area. His vision is good but not special by any stretch.

Steele lacks long speed, but it isn't tragic. He won by getting to the edge a handful of times at Ball State, but I don't think that option will be available to him in the NFL more times than not. He isn't much in the passing game - he ran very few route types and didn't have any significant production as a receiver. As I mentioned previously, his vision and agility are fine in my opinion.

Does Steele have franchise back potential? I don't see it. I'd love to be proven wrong, and I overall like what he put on tape a decent amount. With a decent offensive line, he can absolutely eat up carries and keep you on schedule. I wouldn't want him as my full time starter, but I like how he can punish defenses with his physicality and grind out tough yards.

6.11  • 4th round