When it came time to make the 159th overall pick in the NFL draft this past Saturday, the staff had to be very pleased that Chris Rainey's name was still on the board. After all, he is 4th in all-purpose yards in Gator history with 3,948 yards. Pretty good for a fifth round pick,eh? This could possibly be due to his undersized body at 5 foot 8, 180 pounds.
The versatile playmaker was selected by the Steelers, who are not really sure where they will use him yet, but should be excited having him on the roster. Along with being 4th in all-purpose yards in school history, Rainey ranks 9th in rushing yards, and maybe his most impressive(and versatile) stat, he holds the SEC record with 6 blocked punts in his career. Another note to remember is the fact that he accumulated all of these stats while sharing carries with several different backs each year in Gainesville, including fellow stand out back Jeff Demps.
You can assure yourself that new offensive coordinator Todd Haley is already pondering different packages and misdirection plays in which he would like to incorporate Rainey into the already speedy Steeler's offense. After all, Haley is familiar working with small, but effective backs from his time in Kansas City, exhibiting the value of Jamaal Charles and Dexter McCluster. Rainey's 4.37 40-yard dash time in fact is wedged between fellow receivers' Mike Wallace(4.27) and Antonio Brown's (4.47) NFL combine times. So don't expect Big Ben to be hurling the ball any less than he has been. Also, we need to remember that without RB Rashard Mendenhall who will be out while rehabbing his torn up knee, there will be plenty of touches available in the offense, another reason that you can expect to see Ben throwing a lot.
The potential and availability is there for Rainey, and OTA's will start soon so that he can start showing his value. As a rookie there is no guarantee that he will blossom into the player the organization and Steeler Nation hopes, but the stats and physical ability are all in place. With Hines Ward retiring, Mendenhall being out, and the team consistently moving in the passing direction, if you ask me we can expect to see Rainey a good bit of time time working the slot in 3-4 wide receiver sets at Ben's disposal.
Written by Justin "Judd" Manning. Follow him on Twitter @JuddManning24
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