Among a number of invitees to the Colts’ local Pro Day that was held a few weeks back was UCLA running back Carson Steele, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network.
As part of the pre-draft process, each NFL team is able to hold a local Pro Day, where teams invite players who have a “local” tie to the area, whether that be attending college or from a nearby hometown that is within the league-defined parameters that meet the distance criteria.
Steele has good size, measuring in at just over 6-0, and weighs 228 pounds. He recorded a Relative Athletic Score of 7.59, which included a 4.75-second 40-yard dash and a 37.5-inch vertical.
Steele, who played in the East-West Shrine Bowl, spent his first two seasons playing at Ball State before transferring to UCLA for the 2023 season.
After an impressive 1,500-yard, 14-touchdown season in 2022 with Ball State, Steele rushed for 845 yards with UCLA at 5.1 yards per attempt and six scores. He would rank 10th among all running backs in average yards after contact and tied for 37th in rushes of 10-plus yards.
Steele has some experience as a pass-catcher as well, totaling 69 targets during his three-year playing career, 20 of which came with the Bruins. He scored four total touchdowns and averaged an impressive 8.4 yards per catch during that span. Steele has some experience lining up outside of the backfield, but not a ton.
For a closer look at what Steele can offer, Ian Valentino of Pro Football Network said this about him last fall:
“We don’t often see running backs like Steele. He’s crafty, strong, can take a hit, and keep moving. He has some short-area burst and agility, but he’s also mastered the nuance of being a running back.
“The question is how athletic he is compared to starting NFL backs. He’ll have an NFL role because he continues chugging ahead, and his large frame bodes well for his ability to play all three downs. But will his contact balance and subtle cuts be enough to overcome otherwise middling explosiveness?”
Running back certainly isn’t a position that the Colts have to add to–they have options on the roster behind Jonathan Taylor. But with that backup running back role somewhat up for grabs this summer, there are some unknowns with Tyler Goodson, Trey Sermon, and Evan Hull – largely their overall inexperience – that perhaps results in GM Chris Ballard trying to add a bit more competition to that unit on Day 3 of the draft.
That isn’t to say Steele would come in and win the RB2 role–development is needed. However, generally speaking, this is a position that potentially could be on the Colts’ radar later in the draft.
On Jordan Reid’s big board, he has Steele ranked as his 271st prospect with a seventh-round grade. Steele could end up signing as an undrafted rookie somewhere as well.
“My first goal is to develop into a starting running back,” Steele told The Draft Network. “Having availability at multiple positions, being able to play at all, and having an impact—that’s my goal for my rookie season. Whether that’s a versatile role in the backfield, at running back, or through special teams, it doesn’t matter to me. I can play on kickoffs as well.
“Those are my main goals. I’m going to acclimate as a rookie. I want to come in and learn.”
