Najee Harris was a first-round pick because the Pittsburgh Steelers believe he can be an every-down running back for them. With his size, power, vision and contact balance, he’s an excellent early-down option as a runner.
What sets Harris apart from a talent such as Derrick Henry, however, is his ability on third down. Not only is he good in pass protection, Harris is also an excellent receiver out of the backfield — as evidenced by his 729 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air over his last two seasons in Tuscaloosa.
So far, that skill set has translated to the NFL level. Check him out going through practice with his new team on Thursday. He makes an impressive adjustment on a football that was thrown behind him to make the grab.
Nifty 1-handed catch here in #Steelers practice: pic.twitter.com/u5xVTq2D4f
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) May 27, 2021
It’s only practice, but things are clearly trending in the right direction for Harris to assume a significant role. With Le’Veon Bell and most recently James Conner leaving over the last few years, the Steelers are in desperate need of a bell-cow runner.
Harris provides Pittsburgh with just that. It’s the perfect match. Good for him, and good for the Steelers.
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