Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, their strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.
We are now less than three weeks away from the NFL Draft, and running back depth remains a glaring need for the Steelers. Thankfully, the 2025 running back class is a deep one, offering just about every running back archetype you could ask for. By the end of the 2024 season, Arizona State’s breakout back Cam Skattebo was one of the most popular players in college football. While he won’t be someone for the “Steelers need to add speed” crowd, Skattebo is more nimble than he’s given credit for and plays like a bowling ball.
Position: Running Back
Class: Senior
Size: 5’9, 219 pounds, 29 7/8” arms, 9 3/8” hands
Age: 23
Projected draft round: Round 3-5
Pro Comparison: Kareem Hunt
Combine Results & RAS Score
Vertical jump: 39 1/2”
Broad jump: 10’3
*Skattebo did not participate in the other drills
Stats via ESPN
During the final stretch of the college football season, there were few players on a bigger heater than Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo. Starting on November 23 against BYU, Skattebo reeled off a 4-game run that saw him reel off 637 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 14 receptions, 157 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown, and a 42-yard touchdown pass. It’s safe to say Skattebo was having a moment.
That reel highlights a lot of Skattebo’s strengths and weaknesses. Skattebo is quick, not fast. He gets up to his full speed quickly, but he doesn’t possess top-end speed.
Skattebo plays with determination and energy on every snap and it often serves him well. But there are plenty of ugly runs too when the defense muddies the running lanes and the run only gains a yard or two. Skattebo has shown a willingness to bounce runs outside, but his lack of long speed can make it challenging for him to consistently threaten a defense laterally.
Where Skattebo is at his best is running between the tackles. Skattebo possessess patience, quick burst, and superior contact balance. Despite the long speed deficiencies, Skattebo has quick feet and a solid jump cut. His low pad level and stocky frame allow him to present the defense a smaller target to hit . With his compact frame, he’s able to break many of these tackles, finishing with 1,202 yards after contact, the third-most in college football. His 103 missed tackles forced trailed only Ashton Jeanty. Same goes for his PFF rushing grade.
Skattebo is a bit of a one-speed runner, but he reaches it quickly, even after contact. His ability to string out runs past initial contact allowed him to create chunk plays at a high rate in college. Skattebo’s 45 runs of 10+ yards was fourth-most in the country and his 21 runs of 15+ tied for 10th.
Skattebo doens't win with style points. But he's slipperier than you'd expect. High effort player. I'm not sure the chunk plays will come as regularly in the NFL, but they did in college despite questions about his long speed pic.twitter.com/B6bIYODGzG
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) April 7, 2025
In the passing game, Skattebo is a natural hands catcher. He’s not a refined route runner by any means, but his ability to win vertically on crossers and scramble drill scenarios could potentially be developed further.
Skattebo is also surprisingly versatile in the passing game. Has natural hands and is able to win on some vertical concepts pic.twitter.com/vbO6rDYFph
— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) April 7, 2025
But in order to get those reps, Skattebo will need to come a long ways in pass protection. Skattebo is inconsistent in his technique and for a powerful runner, he comes off surprisingly timid in pass protection. He has struggled to generate much power from his base as a blocker, though it doesn’t appear to be from any lack of want to. He’ll need to drill that throughout the summer if he wants to be trusted with 3rd down reps.
The last fatal flaw worth noting in Skattebo’s game. There’s a flipside to the coin that his aggressive, heavy contact style — taking big hits can lead to turnovers. Skattebo has fumbled 10 times over the past three seasons. That’s a a habit he’ll have to buck in the NFL if he wants to hang around.
Strengths
Short, stocky frame lends to plus contact ballance
Accelerates quickly and makes sharp, sudden cuts
Leg drive to create extra yards after contact
Weaknesses
Long speed
Ball security, 10 fumbles since 2022
Plays with little regard for the hits he’s absorbing, which could wear him down over time
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com
Carnage creator with a compact frame and elite contact balance. Skattebo can break through second-level tacklers and careen off of bodies for extended yards after contact. He reads his blocks quickly and is more elusive in the early stages of the run than he’s probably given credit for. He lacks top-end speed and will have to contend with bigger, better tacklers on the next level. Skattebo’s effectiveness as a receiver out of the backfield should add to his draft value. His physicality and edge should bode well for him as a complementary back with three-down value who is capable of helping an offense wear down the defense.
Kyle Crabbs for The 33rd Team
Skattebo is one of the most frantic runners in the class in the best way possible. This is a high-energy player who runs with urgency and physicality at every opportunity that he is given. Skattebo proved his ability to shoulder significant wear and tear throughout the 2024 college season — posting 300+ touches and serving as a punishing finisher of a runner on many of those instances.
The total resume shows a player who shows impressive power and contact balance. His running style is best suited to hitting downhill with his pads square to the line of scrimmage, but he has illustrated patience and willingness to attack tacklers on outside bounce reads and gain a corner. However, this isn’t necessarily someone who should be dropped into a wide zone scheme and asked to capture the edge and stress defenses with speed to the perimeter.
Keith Sanchez of The Draft Network
Another plus asset is his impact on the passing game. Although Skattebo profiles as a physical downhill thumper, he surprisingly appears to be a natural hands catcher. Skattebo can catch the football out of the backfield, running all of the traditional routes from the running back. Skattebo also does a good job of tracking the football on wheel routes in one-on-one situations.
I think there is more of a fit than you might expect for Skattebo. While I would not advise using him on wide zone runs, Skattebo reads inside zone well and is above average at navigating traffic. If the Steelers are looking to cement a bully ball identity, Skattebo profiles as an exceptional change-of-pace back. Like any mid-round player, there are warts to his game, but Skattebo is a high-effort player that is easy to root for.
TL;DR: Skattebo won’t bring the speed that many fans are clamoring for, but he’s a tough runner that brings some pass-catching versatility.
What are your thoughts on Cam Skattebo? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!
