Team-focused player who regularly praised his offensive line for helping him deliver numbers. Good acceleration and suddenness, especially for a 230-pound runner. 4 Notre Dame . Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Home. October 11, 2022. After a few years, Harris earned significant playing time as a co-lead back with Damien Harris in 2019 before leading the Alabama run game in 2020. As the new front office prepares for their first NFL draft, lets look at some of the Steelers top picks by round by GM Kevin Colbert. But having a realistic expectation of where the yardage could come from, particularly from the help of the rest of the offense, may help put expectations for 2022 into perspective. Want more? He dodged trouble like he did defenders. Occasionally got the sense he benefitted from his offensive line clearing space for him. (Follow along with all things 2021 NFL Draft with the FTN 2021 NFL Draft Hub!) 2 overall pick in one-QB drafts -- him vs. Travis Etienne might just come down to personal preference -- and he's probably won't make it to the sixth pick even in Superflex or 2QB leagues. Harris carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Browns. 3.26 yards after contact per attempt, a surprisingly low 89th in college football (PFF) Coming out of an Alabama system with multiple NFL running backs, Harriss onfield production cannot be dismissed. We present them here for purely educational purposes. While productive enough for a mid-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Harris Decided to return for his senior season. Not known for speed or athleticism on tape, this remains a major concern. Once I read this I had to go back and watch the Titans play to see what went wrong. Find out more. Alabama's Harris hurdles defender for 53 . He played college football at Alabama, where he recorded over 1,800 yards with 23 touchdowns as a senior in 2020.. Smith was awarded the Heisman Trophy for his accomplishments alongside several other awards and honors. Despite the teams slow start, Harris has been gobbling up the yardage. Harris was the bell cow for the Steelers . So lets take a look at a logical three statistic progression which would help improve Najee Harris statistics for 2022. A more accomplished receiver than most of his physical comparisons, Harris likely hears his name called no later than the second day of the draft. After breaking down Najee Harris 3.9 yards per carry in 2021 to where 1.7 came before contact and 2.2 were yards after contact, its hard to ask Harris to do more than what he was already doing on his own. However, they also have holes across the entire roster and presumed number on pick Trevor Lawrence to protect. They did their ranking of the top 32 running backs in the NFL for 2021 and without taking a single NFL snap, Harris checks in at No. When his blocks disintegrated and he freelanced, his vision to find a new way to roam was very good. After backing up Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough as a freshman, Najee Harris as a sophomore split backfield work with upperclassmen Damien Harris and Jacobs and looked pretty good doing it. Despite having the big numbers that back Harris up, the Steelers offensive woes almost make this stat line hard to believe. Harris had just 41 catches for 229 yards last year. Harris' college production is not a product of running behind a consistently elite offensive line. Atlanta picks at 35 and sits with Mike Davis atop their roster. With Nick Chubb having 3.0 yards after contact and Jonathan Taylor averaging 2.9 yards, Harris was next with 2.2 ahead of both Joe Mixon (1.8 yards) and Dalvin Cook (2.0 yards). Note: You are reading this message either because you do not have a standards-compliant browser, or because you can not see our css files. The stat below about what Henry did on Sunday is remarkable. 160 rushing yards after contact is exactly what a back like Henry and frankly a back like Harris should be able to do on a regular basis. Or write about sports? Najee Harris NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Pittsburgh Steelers RB BR NFL Scouting Department April 29, 2021 Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press HEIGHT: 6'1 " WEIGHT: 232 POSITIVES. So, this could be an incredible match of player to team. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long list of free agents this offseason, and we keep you up-to-date with the news and rumors surrounding these players. He added one catch for 10 yards. Productive in a small sample, injuries derailed Conner early in his career. Patience was inconsistent -- sometimes he waited for his blockers to do their work and he'd flash, sometimes he'd shuffle his feet instead of move forward, sometimes he'd bounce right into a lineman's backside. Not expected to find himself in the elite athlete territory, Harriss closest comparisons fall in the Bell, Hill and Conner range. For example, LeVeon Bell has the most rushing yards in franchise history in a players second season with 1,361 yards. Derrick Henry2. Even if the yards after contact remained the same, if the yards before contact were to be increased as suggested, Najee Harris would be looking at between 4.4 and 4.9 yards per carry. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Harris carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-14 win over the Browns. Gambling problem? Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Najee Harris. Seemed to run to contact often. Harris originally committed to Alabama as a sophomore in high school and his recruitment never wavered, despite late pushes from Michigan and USC. Conner remains the closest comparison after leaving Pittsburgh with a 34.4% Dominator Rating and a 7.7% target share. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. In my first run of projections, I had Harris as RB20, and then I did another run with a more aggressive projection for him as the lead back, and he came in as RB11. All rights reserved. Matt Gajewski graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Economics. He's now done for the game. Harris is a complete back who can be a force in the passing game as well as on the ground, and he could get a huge workload as the Steelers look to justify their pick and rejuvenate their run game. Former Alabama running back Najee Harris made his final season with the Crimson Tide count. Odds & lines subject to change. He's the highest-rated rookie on the list and ahead of numerous incumbent starters. All Rights Reserved. Myles Gaskin Has Nothing to Worry About in Malcolm Brown, Kenyan Drake is a Decent Fantasy Value Bet in Vegas, 10 Fantasy-Relevant 2023 Rookies: A First Look, 2023 Available Targets and Air Yards Tracker. Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress. The former Alabama standout has rushed for just 361 yards and one touchdown on 108 attempts through eight appearances. Kevin Colberts Best Draft Picks: 1st Round. Their roster contains just Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Malcolm Brown. But when it comes to the list of successful first-round Steelers running backs, it is much . Selected fifth overall by the Bengals in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase was named the NFL Offensive . Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris carried the ball 23 times for 84 yards and a touchdown while losing a fumble in a 28-14 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. Its why teams invest high draft picks in them and lots of money in contracts. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Had 460 carries and 70 catches across 26 games in 2019-20. Plowing through tackles is a translatable skill, even as the competition ramps up with. When extrapolating Harris' current production through 17 games, Harris is on pace to finish . Aug 18, 2021. Who are the pundits picking for the Steelers at the No. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Getting more yards after contact than before, Harris is working very hard to get the yardage necessary each play. Jacksonville possesses the most draft capital in this range with picks 25, 33 and 45, giving them a solid shot at Harris. Who was NFL . Unsurprisingly, per FantasyPoints' Scott Barrett, Harris led Power-5 RBs in total first downs (107), missed tackles forced (93), and was top-3 in rushing yards after contact (821). Mike Barner gives his best bets for Sunday's AFC North clash with playoff implications on the line as the Steelers host the Browns. Only lacking as a receiver, Harris had already emerged as a key component to the Crimson Tide rushing attack. . Running back was immediately identified by pretty much everyone as a significant need for the Steelers, and in the days leading up to the draft, a consensus in the mock draft community built thatNajee Harriswould be the guy. His 2,234 rush yards are the sixth-most in the NFL since the start of the 2021 season His 2,930 scrimmage yards are the sixth-most by a running back in the NFL since the start of the 2021 season One of two players in the NFL with 2,200 or more rushing yards and 650 or more receiving yards since the start of the 2021 season NFC East: Key Free Agents, Draft Picks & Needs, and Available Cap Space, Fantasy Football Depth Chart Battle: Cowboys Wide Receivers, Fantasy Football Debate: A.J. The 2020 Doak Walker Award winner, Harris has an excellent pro frame (6-1, 232), proven three-down ability, and should have the opportunity to produce right away. One of the highlights of his scouting report was his ability to make something out of nothing. Najee Harris stats Through three drives Harris has 7 carries for 22 yards and one reception on one target for three yards. From an efficiency perspective, Harris leaves a bit to be desired. Join our linker program. Taking the risk, Harris improved his draft stock after a career year as a rusher and receiver. He reeled in 43 passes for 425 yards and four touchdowns. Looking at those top five rushers, Pro Football Reference (PFR) has the following numbers for these players in yards before contact per rushing attempt: Jonathan Taylor: 2.6 YBC/ANick Chubb: 2.5 YBC/AJoe Mixon: 2.3 YBC/ANajee Harris: 1.7 YBC/ADalvin Cook: 2.7 YBC/A. So far through two games, Harris hasnt shown those skills against the speed and strength of NFL defenses. The Bills invested in Devin Singletary and Zack Moss in back-to-back years in the mid-rounds, but neither possesses a three-down skill set. He added one catch for 10 yards. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. Najee Harris hasn't had a great start to the season thus far, with his season high of 74 rushing yards coming during Sunday's loss against the Jets. This highlights a weakness in top-end speed, which will be exacerbated at the NFL level. DeVonta Smith (/ d v n t / de-VON-tuh; born November 14, 1998) is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Najee Harris went from a Bay Area legend to the greatest career by an Alabama running back ever. Please see our Contributors and Sources page for data source details. https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/2021/09/21/steelers-titans-nfl-derrick-henry-najee-harris/, 4 alternative picks for the Steelers from Mel Kiper Jr.'s new mock draft. Latest on Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN . Reliable ball-carrier: three fumbles (one lost) over entire collegiate career. 6-keys: media/fantasynews/nfl/reg/free/stories, By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the. Former Alabama running back Najee Harris was the first running back taken off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. Le'Veon Bell, Jeremy Hill and James Conner highlight the list, with Matt Jones, T.J. Yeldon, Todd Gurley and Joe Mixon appearing as more distant comparisons. The Alabama offensive line played extremely well in 2020, ranking 14th in . * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). Measuring in at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, Connor ran a 4.65 40-yard dash coming out of school. He played college football at LSU, where he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award and the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship as a sophomore. Steelers workhorse Najee Harris: 'You can train at carrying the load' Published: Dec. 18, 2021, 1:06 p.m. Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris carries the football during an NFL. Unfortunately, PFR began their advanced statistics in 2018 and there is not a breakdown of Bells yards before contact and yards after contact from 2014. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. The Pittsburgh Steelers GM was at the podium at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he had plenty to say. Copyright 2023 GDC Media Limited, licensed to GDC America Inc and sub-licensed to Roto Sports Inc. All Rights Reserved. Last year he gained 1,580 yards with 18 touchdowns. . 7 . All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. * All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine). Gambling problem? 2021 NFL Draft Resources: NFL Mock Draft | Top 150 Big Board | Team Needs & Draft Capital, More Rookie Profiles: Kyle Pitts | Elijah Moore | DeVonta Smith | Travis Etienne. All Rights Reserved. On his way to winning a pair of NCAA national championships with the Crimson Tide, Harris earned unanimous All-American honors in 2020 and a nod to the All-SEC team. Powerful, physical runner with low center of gravity. Pass protection needs significant work -- some of his best pass protection snaps involved him barely making contact with defenders and the quarterback just barely getting the ball away. The crowded backfield played a part in Harris's breakout age (21.5) occurring later than that of other top prospects in the draft. 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