Apr 20, 2013 3 min read

Since 1970, the Steelers have selected only five running backs in the first round of the NFL draft.

Of that group, only Franco Harris (1972) and Rashard Mendenhall (2008) have had 1,000-yard seasons.

Greg Hawthorne, Walter Abercrombie and Tim Worley, the other running backs taken in the first round, are just footnotes in history.

But that might not scare the team away from taking another running back in the first round of this year’s draft, which will be held Thursday through Saturday.

The Steelers hold eight picks in the draft, including the 17th selection in the first round, and are in the market for a running back after losing Mendenhall in free agency to Arizona.

Even with Mendenhall, the Steelers used a running-back-by-committee approach last season, with former sixth-round pick Jonathan Dwyer leading the team in rushing with 623 yards. It was the fewest rushing yards to lead the Steelers since Merril Hoge had 610 in 1991.

Alabama’s Eddie Lacy is the only running back considered worthy of a first-round selection, and the Steelers could target the powerful 231-pounder, though he likely will still be available if they traded down about 10 spots.

“He kind of fits what Pittsburgh does,” said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. “He could be a potential consideration for Pittsburgh at that point.”

Lacy rushed for 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns for the national champions last season, though he was slowed throughout the offseason by hamstring issues. He did finally run a 4.55 40-yard dash at his on-campus workout last week, alleviating some concerns about his top-end speed.

If the Steelers choose to pass on Lacy in the first round, there are a number of runners in the second and third rounds who should draw their interest.

“I think there’s plenty of depth to get a running back in this draft,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said at the NFL Draft Combine.

Wisconsin’s Montee Ball, UCLA’s Johnathan Franklin, North Carolina’s Gio Bernard and Christine Michael of Texas A&M are all players who could pique Pittsburgh’s interest in rounds two and three.

“I happen to like Montee Ball a lot,” said Mayock. “When I put the tape on, he’s a downhill (runner), tough kid. I think he’s got really good feet for a fairly large back.”

Ball (5-11, 215) also has a nose for the end zone, having set the NCAA record with 77 career touchdowns, including an astounding 39 last season to tie Barry Sanders’ single-season record.

Franklin (5-10, 205) is more of a speed back, running 4.46 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, and set school single-season records for rushing yards (1,734) and all-purpose yards (2,062). He also holds the UCLA career records for rushing (4,403) and all-purpose yards (4,920).

Bernard (5-9, 202) rushed for more than 1,200 yards and had 47 pass receptions in only 10 games last year, but his durability is an issue.

Michael might be the most physcially gifted, yet intriguing player of the group. At 5-10, 221 pounds, Michael ran a 4.43 40 at the combine.

But he also struggled through injuries in his career, suffering a broken leg to end one season and a torn ACL that finished his junior year.

After a coaching change before his senior season, he was relegated to a part-time role and clashed with the new staff, finishing with just 447 yards while scoring 12 touchdowns.

If the Steelers miss out on that group, Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell (6-2, 230) or Florida’s Mike Gillislee (5-11, 209) could draw their interest in later rounds.