Running back Jaylen Samuels is the first member of the Steelers’ 2018 draft class to sign a contract with the team.
The Steelers announced that Samuels, who was selected in the fifth round with the 165th overall selection, agreed to a four-year deal on Wednesday. The Steelers drafted seven players overall last month.
Samuels caught 201 passes and ran the ball 182 times over four years at North Carolina State, which led Steelers coach Mike Tomlin to call him “a versatile guy” after the draft. N.C. State assistant Eddie Faulkner went so far as to compare Samuels to the versatile guy the Steelers have used at running back for the last five years.
“He’s very similar to a Le’Veon [Bell], to be honest with you,” Faulkner said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “He’s a really good receiver. He can run the ball. He does a lot of things well.”
Comparing Samuels to Bell may be a stretch, but Samuels will get a chance to prove otherwise with more reps up for grabs as long as Bell stays away from the team this offseason in his ongoing push for a new contract.