Dri Archer got a lot of notice at the scouting combine in 2014 when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.26 seconds, which was the fastest of the year and the second-fastest in recent combine history behind Chris Johnson.
That helped Archer become a third-round pick of the Steelers, but he hasn’t able to make that speed translate into a role on offense in the NFL. He had 10 carries for 40 yards and seven catches for 23 yards as a rookie and didn’t have any offensive touches in eight games before being released in November.
Archer will get a second chance to make it work with the Jets. The team announced they signed Archer, who worked out for them in November, to a futures contract on Wednesday. Jets running backs Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell and Stevan Ridley are all headed for free agency, so it’s unclear what the depth chart will look like at the position when the team starts offseason work.
Archer also returned kickoffs for the Steelers, posting an average of 22.4 yards per return over his two years in Pittsburgh. Antonio Cromartie had the most returns for the Jets in 2015, but is a candidate to be released as the Jets get their cap together.