One of the more divisive selections in the 2021 NFL Draft was the Pittsburgh Steelers taking Alabama running back Najee Harris with the 24th overall pick. One of the supporters of this choice is Steelers legend Jerome Bettis, per Ed Bouchette of The Athletic. For Bettis, the selection was pure genius.

“I thought it was a great pick. I thought it showed their commitment to getting back to running the football,” Bettis said. “In order to definitively run the football, you have to have a hammer and they went out and got a hammer, and now they're able to philosophically do some of the things they weren't able to do.”

Now, it is important to note that Bettis was a legendary running back, so he does have some bias and some expertise on the matter, but he may have a point. Harris is a prototypical, modern back who can play all three downs, according to Kevin Patra of Around the NFL. He has an advanced route tree and will contribute in the passing game, while still running all over defenders, as expected of a runner his size.

The main criticism of the Harris pick is not on the player, but more on priorities. The Steelers line for years did a good job at protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but no so much  in creating openings  for their running backs.

Center Maurkice Pouncey and tackle Alejandro Villanueva are no longer with the team, so it could be argued that it would have been wiser to nab an offensive lineman.

They have the running back they desperately needed, now the Steelers hope they have enough on the offensive line to help pave some holes in the ground game.

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Nihad Zunic ·