The Steelers took another step toward fixing their running game and landed the player they wanted when they selected Alabama running back Najee Harris with the 24th overall pick in the NFL draft.
Harris (6-1, 232) was the first running back selected and considered by many to be the best player at his position in the draft. He is the first running back taken in the first round by the Steelers since Rashard Mendenhall in 2008.
The Steelers wanted a feature back to help revitalize their running game, which ranked last in the league in 2020 and 29th in 2019. That became apparent when they elected not to re-sign three-year starter James Conner and let him leave in free agency.
Harris rushed for 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns, in addition to catching 43 passes for 425 yards and four touchdowns, last season at Alabama.
Harris was the target all along for the Steelers. The only concern was hoping that teams such as the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, who also had interest in a running back, didn’t take him before the Steelers.
The Steelers will change their offense this season under new coordinator Matt Canada, and part of that includes installing different running schemes and techniques. Finding a feature back such as Harris was the final piece of the puzzle.
Running backs, though, have not been valued commodities in the first round in recent years. Only eight have gone in the first round the past five years, including just one in each of the past two years.
