Browns draft prospect: UCLA running back Carson Steele

Another Cleveland Browns draft profile leads us to Carson Steele, a 6’1, 225-pound running back, who helped lead UCLA to an LA Bowl appearance in 2023. Steele was a two-star recruit out of Greenwood, Indiana, the 45th-ranked prospect in Indiana and the 288th-ranked running back in the Nation, and committed to Ball State in 2021.

Once at Ball State, he appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman, rushing for 891 yards and six touchdowns on 192 attempts and catching 12 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals finished the 2021 regular season 6-6 and were elected to face off against the Georgia State Panthers in the Camellia Bowl. Steele rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries and caught three passes for 40 yards in Ball State’s 51-20 loss to the Panthers. Steele’s performance in 2021 earned him the John Hodge Award.

In 2022, Steele appeared in all 12 games, rushing for 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns on 289 attempts and catching 29 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals finished the 2022 regular season 5-7 and were eliminated from Bowl eligibility.

He was named first-team All-MAC for his efforts on the field in 2022. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 season, Steele took to social media to announce he would be entering the transfer portal. Just over 30 days after entering the transfer portal, Steele announced he had committed to UCLA.

In 2023, Steele appeared in 12 games for the Bruins, rushing for 847 yards and six touchdowns on 167 carries and caught 17 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. UCLA finished the 2023 regular season 7-5 and was elected to face off against the Boise State Broncos in the LA Bowl. In late December, Steele announced on social media that he would skip the LA Bowl and forego his senior season to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft.

Steele’s noted strengths according to ProFootballNetwork.com:

Large frame that allows him to power through tacklers with a great stiff arm.
He can be a workhorse back who gets stronger as the game progresses.
Excellent contact balance allows him to continue trudging upfield, taking hits directly to his body. He’s tough to bring down by one tackler.
Contributed as a pass catcher and pass blocker, with the upside to be a three-down back.
Steele is creative in his evasion of tackles, including hurdling defenders and using dekes and jukes without breaking his stride too much.
Uses his lead blockers effectively to buy time for rushing lanes to develop and shield his body.
Has enough speed and quickness to find chunk plays even though he’s not an elite athlete.
Very good fit in zone running schemes as he hits the intended rushing lane without hesitation.

Steele’s Noted Weaknesses:

Has a unique play style that was effective at Ball State, but we haven’t seen it in a Power Five conference in a few years. He’ll have to prove his power and athleticism are enough to work against better athletes.
He already has a substantial workload on his body and doesn’t evade hits but rather absorbs them.
Struggles to make defenders miss and doesn’t have natural leverage due to his taller frame.
His overall quickness, agility, and speed are average at best, so his upside is fair to question.

Carson Steele compared to other 2024 prospects:

Carson Steele - UCLA Bruins/Ball State Cardinals - 6’1 - 225 lbs

Ball State - 2021 - 2022

25 Games
481 Rushing Attempts
2,447 Rushing Yards (97.9 Yards Per Game)
20 Rushing Touchdowns

41 Receptions
323 Receiving Yards (7.9 Yards Per Reception)
2 Receiving Touchdowns

UCLA Bruins - 2023

12 Games
167 Rushing Attempts
847 Rushing Yards (70.6 Yards Per Game)
6 Rushing Touchdowns

17 Receptions
163 Receiving Yards (9.6 Yards Per Reception)
2 Receiving

Trey Benson - Florida State Seminoles/Oregon Ducks - 6’1 - 227 lbs

Oregon Ducks - 2020-2021

10 Games
6 Rushing Attempts
22 Rushing Yards (3.7 Yards Per Rush)
1 Rushing Touchdown

Florida State Seminoles - 2022-2023

26 Games
310 Rushing Attempts
1,895 Rushing Yards (72.9 Yards Per Game)
23 Rushing Touchdowns

33 Receptions
371 Receiving Yards (11.2 Yards Per Reception)
1 Receiving Touchdown

Jonathan Brooks - Texas Longhorns - 6’0 - 207 lbs

22 Games
238 Rushing Attempts
1,479 Rushing Yards (67.2 Yards Per Game)
16 Rushing Touchdowns

28 Receptions
335 Receiving Yards (12 Yards Per Reception)
2 Receiving Touchdowns

Jaylen Wright - Tennessee Volunteers - 5’11 - 210 lbs

34 Games
368 Rushing Attempts
2,297 Rushing Yards (67.6 Yards Per Game)
18 Rushing Touchdowns

30 Receptions
171 Receiving Yards (5.7 Yards Per Reception)

Blake Corum - Michigan Wolverines - 5’8 - 213 lbs

45 Games
674 Rushing Attempts
3,737 Rushing Yards (83 Yards Per Game)
58 Rushing Touchdowns

56 Receptions
411 Receiving Yards (9.1 Per Reception)
3 Receiving Touchdowns

Bucky Irving - Oregon Ducks/Minnesota Golden Gophers - 5’10 - 195 lbs

Minnesota Golden Gophers - 2021

12 Games
133 Rushing Attempts
699 Rushing Yards (58.3 Yards Per Game)
4 Rushing Touchdowns

8 Receptions
73 Receiving Yards (9.1 Yards Per Reception)
4 Receiving Touchdowns

Oregon Ducks - 2022-2023

27 Games
342 Rushing Attempts
2,238 Rushing Yards (82.9 Yards Per Game)
16 Rushing Touchdowns

87 Receptions
712 Receiving Yards (8.2 Yards Per Reception)
5 Receiving Touchdowns

While Steele’s elusiveness, agility, and speed are areas of concern, his size, power, strength, and pass-catching ability make Steele a perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns offense.