Anthony McFarland joins a crowded position room with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The former Maryland running back, who was selected by the Steelers on Saturday in the fourth round of the NFL Draft, will compete for playing time with the likes of James Conner, Benny Snell, Jaylen Samuels, Kerrith Whyte and Trey Edmunds.
The 5-foot-8, 208-pound McFarland brings a dimension those others lack.
“He’s really explosive,” Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner said.
Case in point: In 2018 against Ohio State, McFarland ripped off touchdown runs of 81 and 75 yards and totaled 298 yards rushing. He did it with the type of speed that earned a 4.44 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, the fourth-fasted measured time among running backs.
“He sees the crease, and it’s his ability to hit the crease — he gets from 0 to 60 quick,” Faulkner said. “He has shown the ability to hit the long ball. That’s a little change from what we’ve got.”
While finishing No. 29 in rushing last season, the Steelers had just one run longer than 40 yards and nine longer than 20, which tied for 19th in the league. Conner, who battled injuries throughout the year, led the Steelers with 464 yards rushing.
“He’s a different type of runner,” Faulkner said of McFarland. “It makes us more valuable as a group.”
Look at his size, speed and frame. Watch film from the 2018 game vs. Ohio State.
That's what we'd tell @NFL teams if they wanted to know why they should draft Anthony McFarland Jr.@AnttMacc_ | @TerpsFootball pic.twitter.com/FiVl24iNds
— Maryland On BTN (@MarylandOnBTN) April 21, 2020
McFarland, though, comes with a warning label. He missed his senior year of high school with a broken leg, and he took a redshirt as a freshman at Maryland while he continued to heal. In 2019, his redshirt sophomore season, he was bothered by a high ankle sprain that limited his numbers to 614 yards rushing in 11 games.
That was a comedown from the previous year when he set the school freshman rushing record with 1,034 yards, including 210 yards against Indiana and that 298-yard performance against Ohio State in consecutive weeks.
“All of the injuries and things I went through, it’s out the window, and I’m ready for the next chapter,” McFarland said on a conference call, adding he’s “100 percent” healthy.
McFarland chose to attend Maryland, ignoring offers from Alabama and Miami (Fla.) so he could stay close to home. He attended DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md. The way he shredded the Ohio State defense in 2018 affirmed he made the correct decision.
“It showed I could compete with the best of the best,” he said. “Not only could I play football, but I could go toe-to-toe with the best of them. That’s the confidence you have to have when you play the game.”
Coach Mike Tomlin’s eldest son, Dino, was a freshman wide receiver at Maryland last season. McFarland said he saw Mike Tomlin on campus but never interacted with the Steelers coach. His offensive coordinator in 2018 was Matt Canada, now the Steelers quarterback coach.
“He’s like a father figure when it comes to the football side,” McFarland said.
Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.
