The Pittsburgh Steelers were widely expected to take Alabama running back Najee Harris with the No. 24 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and they did exactly that on Thursday.
Harris made the choice to return to school in 2020, and he certainly made the most of that decision. He ran for 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns in 13 games this past season, finishing fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. He is a big-bodied back who has fantastic contact balance and the muscular frame needed to plow through and bounce off of would-be tacklers.
Don’t consider him as just a typical power back, though; he possesses elite lower-body explosiveness and good speed in the open field, as well as very good hands in the passing game.
Running back stood out as one of the biggest needs on the Steelers’ roster heading into the draft, and they filled it with a player many believe to be the best back in this year’s class. Harris gives Pittsburgh a powerful and explosive runner to take some of the load off of Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulders.
