PITTSBURGH — Assuming plans don't fall through and Ben Roethlisberger does take a few Steelers rookies to dinner Saturday night, one can only imagine the energy Najee Harris will bring to that occasion. If nothing else, the first-round pick came into rookie minicamp loose, and Saturday he put on display his wide-ranging, engaging personality, from genuine disbelief to charming incredulity.
There was also the matter of playing a little bit of football sans pads and defense, nonetheless an opportunity to make an impression on his new coaches. Physically, skill-wise, mentally, Harris seems to be checking all the boxes — and you can also throw in socially, too.
"Oh, you saw that?" Harris asked one reporter who mentioned a one-handed catch the former Alabama running back made Saturday morning, the team's second day of rookie camp. "You guys were here? Where were you guys at?"
Harris was legitimately confused, one of the few aspects of the NFL transition that has tripped him up so far. When he was informed that a handful of media members were watching the workout from a balcony at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Harris replied that he thought they were "boosters."
No, this isn't college anymore, but Harris is still the big man on campus — and he carries himself that way, no doubt.
He all but cringed at a question about his pass-catching ability, and whether that fancy, reach-back snag was something added to his arsenal during his decorated senior season in the SEC.
"Bro, what?" Harris asked with an exaggeratedly plain face. "Where you from? Did you always cover the Pittsburgh Steelers?"
The answer was yes, and Harris let out an exasperated expletive, but it was all in good fun before an animated explanation as to why he balked at such a suggestion.
"I always do that!" he exclaimed, referring to full-extension grabs that look more like those a wide receiver would make than a tailback. "I always do that. Not to brag or nothing, but it's like, what the heck? It wasn't luck, I'll tell you that."
Indeed, Harris is still getting to know Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh is getting to know Harris — and what all he's capable of on a regular basis. But the man who matters most, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, already likes what he's seeing, and hearing, from the 24th overall pick.
Tomlin called Harris "as highly conditioned as anybody out there, and that's a great place to begin." No surprise there for a 6-foot-2, 230-pounder with long arms and massive hands. But there was even more of a microscope on Harris than there normally would be for the main attraction in a rookie camp, considering the Steelers had just 34 players on this weekend's roster and only one running back.
That allowed Tomlin to soak up Harris' football IQ, too, and the coach found that the 23-year-old all-time leading rusher for the Crimson Tide "can articulate the game very well."
"Absolutely, it's more noticeable, because there's simply not a lot of people to work with," Tomlin said. "He's getting the opportunity to work 1-on-1 with coach [Eddie] Faulkner at the running back position and it provides plenty of opportunity for him to verbalize his knowledge and things of that nature."
Tomlin was short on specifics, but Harris wasn't. He sounded like an offensive coordinator at times Saturday. Harris referenced inside zone, outside zone, one-back power, duo plays and lining up out wide as the "X" receiver as all that's in store for him in Year 1.
There aren't many ways to stand out this early in the process, but for Harris, it's a combination of self-assuredness and a willingness to be a bit goofy that makes him one of a kind. During a portion of his post-practice interview, he admittedly spaced out while staring at one writer's "dope" microphone through the Zoom screen and getting distracted.
But when it comes to being the top dog of this rookie class, Harris is focused — and that means taking the offseason one step at a time. He's gone from being a revered leader in Tuscaloosa to a fresh face in a new city, but hasn't lost any swagger along the way.
"I would never try to blend in nowhere," Harris said. "I try to stand out in my own way. Because I'm me, so I feel like I always stand out."
