In a nutshell, the 2021 version of the Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot riding on their shiny new rookie, Najee Harris, including helping quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in what could be his final attempt at winning another Super Bowl. The Alabama running back was selected out of the first round in this year’s NFL Draft, and while this team needed to utilize their draft to fill a bunch of holes, running back was not necessarily seen as being near or at the top of the list.
With areas like offensive line and backup QB seen as more pressing needs on the offensive side of the ball, it was a slight shock to see GM Kevin Colbert and the front office go and take the draft’s first RB. While there were rumors tying the Steelers to the Crimson Tide standout, having them address other areas of the team would have made more sense, for both the short and long term.
As a member of the competitive AFC North division, the Steelers are going to need to fight and claw for every win during their ‘21 17-game slate. They began their 2020 season by rattling off 11 straight victories before falling at home to the Washington Football Team, and they finished the rest of their campaign by going 1-4 in their final five games.
Having won the division by only one game, adding more offensive firepower made sense for the Steelers in this year’s NFL Draft, especially with the clock ticking on Roethlisberger’s impending retirement. Keeping him upright and healthy with a new member of their offensive line would have been a better option, but it was hard to pass up an opportunity to draft what many saw as one of the best offensive players in this year’s draft.
Harris joins a crowded backfield in an attempt to replace James Conner, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals this offseason. Alongside Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland Jr., and Jaylen Samuels, Harris will be given the keys right out of the gate, but will have plenty of competition right behind him, ready to jump in at a moment’s notice.
The kind of publicity that Harris has earned, especially in the world of fantasy football, has only driven up his rookie-year expectations – they seemingly are at astronomical levels, which may end up being tough to reach. But using first-round capital on a guy that should be a bellcow back for the next six-plus seasons certainly does not come around every day, so the Steelers knew what they were getting when they selected Harris.
2021 Projected Statistics
293 carries / 1,306 yards / 6 TDs / 47 receptions / 358 yards / 3 receiving TDs / 4 fumbles
Before jumping into what can be expected out of Harris in his rookie campaign, the Steelers’ window of competition lives and dies on the shoulders of Roethlisberger, who certainly has endured his fair share of injuries during his career. Surrounded by a trio of stout wide receivers – Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson, and JuJu Smith-Schuster – and a solid rookie tight end in Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth, Harris looks to be the final piece to their offensive puzzle of playmakers.
Addressing their offensive line is the biggest wild card for what could hold this team back, especially if that unit is to blame for Roethlisberger missing any time. That unit is instrumental in Harris' rookie season (especially on the ground), which is what could be the difference between a 1,500+ yard season and a sub-1,000 yard season.
If Harris was to meet the projected rushing yardage total of just over 1,300 yards, then that would place him 22nd overall in NFL history, right behind Saquon Barkley’s 2018 rookie performance and ahead of Billy Sims’ 1980 first year with the Detroit Lions. For comparison, the Steelers as a backfield rushed for a combined 1,230 yards last year, meaning that Harris would eclipse that amount just by himself.
Changing up the offensive identity, especially at this point in the career for Roethlisberger, may present a challenge, but it certainly would make him and his targets more efficient. By keeping the run game as a constant threat in the minds of their opponents, then Harris can help take a bunch of weight off the shoulders of Roethlisberger, all the while helping limit the games in which Roethlisberger has to bring this team back from being down.
The backfield handled 322 carries last year (led by Conner’s 169), so they certainly are built to sustain a 1,000-yard rusher. For Harris, his value certainly would be emphasized on the ground if he did earn just under 300 carries, but he certainly can be a valued weapon in the passing game too.
Conner led the backfield in receptions, converting 35 catches (on 43 targets) into 215 yards and no scores – as a unit, they hauled in 60 balls, which is why Harris’s value certainly does not end just on the ground.
Harris’ 43 receptions for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns in his senior season at Alabama highlight the kind of dual-threat opportunity he can bring to the Steelers, especially if he is integrated as a full-on option in the passing game. With Conner being an option in the passing game but not in the same echelon as what Le’Veon Bell was, Harris could finally bring back a level of RB production that this team has been missing.
The championship window for the Steelers is closing fast and relies heavily on what kind of Roethlisberger walks out there each and every week. If Harris is able to be the kind of option that helps propel this offense to the next level, then their first-round selection will prove to be worth it – while also helping this team move on from Conner.
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