Pittsburgh Steelers' running back, Najee Harris has topped 1,000 rushing yards in both of his NFL seasons since the team selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. In 2022, Harris got on the radar of league scouts, executives, coaches and players in the annual rankings produced by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. He got votes as high as number three but finishing eighth overall after leading the league in touches as a rookie. In 2023, Harris plummeted his way down to the "others receiving votes" category.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Najee Harris (#22) looks on at training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA on July 28, 2022.
Steelers insider for The Athletic, Mark Kaboly recently joined co-hosts Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller to break down some of the reasons for Harris' reputation league-wide taking a hit. Kaboly said there are multiple factors, including the injury to his foot, which caused him to start the year playing with a steel plate in his cleat, but the knocks he received in 2022 for not being explosive enough tell the tale.
"A lot of it has to do with him not having those monster games," he said. "He’s more of a grinder. He gets the job done, but it’s not going to move the needle in terms of fantasy football guys or people who don’t follow him on a day to day basis."
The stats back up Kaboly's "grinder" monicker for Harris. He has only four games with over 100 yards rushing in two seasons, though he only missed it by one in 2023 during a Steelers win over the New Orleans Saints. His longest rush of his career is 37. He helped to seal a victory in Ben Roethlisberger's home finale over the Cleveland Browns by breaking down the sideline before somersaulting into the end zone with 51 seconds left to secure the win.
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Steelers running back Najee Harris breaks into some empty space during a regular season game against the Cleveland Browns on Jan 3, 2022.
Harris will need to have a few more performances like the one he did against the Browns in his rookie season to jump back into the good books for those judging him outside of Pittsburgh. He set career highs for rushing attempts (28) and yards (188) that day while catching all three targets in the passing game.
Kaboly expects Harris to want to prove the doubters wrong, but might have some displaced anger over where the rankings came from.
"I know how Najee will take it," he said. "He’ll blame me and the rest of the Pittsburgh media and not actually where the information is coming from."
Whoever Harris choses to assign the blame to for his falling out of favor doesn't really matter. He needs to continue to build on two solid seasons and show that when he's fully healthy, he belongs firmly in the top ten discussion.
How Steelers' Harris Gets Himself Back Into The Conversation As One Of The League's Best
Harris is facing a pivotal year which could have serious impacts on his future with the team. Kaboly noted a couple of factors that should help Harris re-enter the discussion that he's one of the best in the league.
"I think he’s leaner and quicker," he said. "I think he’s going to benefit from that left side of the offensive line, whoever it is. Being able to get to that second level and make some moves to get clean and deal with cornerbacks."
Whether it's rookie tackle, Broderick Jones or returning starter, Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, the addition of former Philadelphia Eagles' left guard, Isaac Seumalo is a big addition to that side of the line. Kaboly said that the biggest thing that will get Harris back into that conversation is if he can make more 10-yard gains into 20-yard gains.
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Steelers running back Najee Harris finds some open space during a regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The other aspect of Harris' game that could get him more recognition from those not watching him on a regular basis is a return to form in the passing attack. In his rookie season, Harris caught 74 of 98 targets for 467 yards and three scores. The Alabama product was still able to haul in three receiving touchdowns in 2022, but saw his targets drop to 53. He caught 41 of them for just 229 yards. If Harris can get back to or surpass his rookie output in the passing attack, that could get him noticed again.
Where should Harris rank among running backs around the league? Do you think he can get back into the Top 10? Let us know in the comments below!
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