Pittsburgh Steelers: After a Strong Rookie Season, Najee Harris Looks to Stamp His Place at Running Back in the NFL

Najee Harris was far-and-away the best offensive player for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. How can he make the leap from star to superstar?

Najee Harris was the former No. 1 running back recruit in the nation, and lived up to those lofty expectations for the Crimson Tide. Harris became the full-time starter as a junior and senior, combining for 2690 rushing yards, 70 receptions, and 50 total touchdowns.

There was little debate as to who the first running back off the board would be, it was just a matter of when. Harris did not wait long to hear his name, as the Pittsburgh Steelers took him at No. 24 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Harris joined a roster that lacked a workhorse at the position. Harris happily filled that role. He stepped in as the top back on the depth chart from day one. Unfortunately for Harris, he landed on a team with one of the worst offensive lines in the league. He struggled to get going the first few weeks of the season, due to having zero time to work with after getting the handoff. Still, even while struggling on the ground, he caught a whopping 14 passes for 102 yards in the Steelers’ week three loss to the Bengals. This proves how impactful he was to the squad last season.

In the teams’ week five victory versus the Denver Broncos, Harris recorded his first 100-yard game as a runner. It was hit-or-miss the rest of the season. Seven of his final 12 games saw him gain at least 70 yards as a runner, but in the other five he failed to reach 60. In those five contests, he averaged less than three yards per carry. Much of that blame falls on the offensive line. In nearly every metric, the Steelers’ unit ranked among the worst in the league. As far as run blocking goes, at one point in his rookie season, Harris was getting hit behind the line-of-scrimmage on an unbelievable 70% of his run plays. The fact that Harris still found a way to record 1200 rushing yards is nothing short of miraculous.

Franchise legend, Ben Roethlisberger, decided to hang up his cleats following the 2021 season. Most of the time, when a team loses their Hall-of-Fame quarterback, they take a step back. However, with all due respect to Roethlisberger, I expect the team to be improved as an offense in 2022. Mitchell Trubisky is not a world beater, but he has been the primary starter for two playoff teams in his career. Their first-round pick, Kenny Pickett, has a livelier arm than Roethlisberger showcased in his final season. Both guys will provide a step up and will allow the team to open up the playbook more, benefitting not only the receivers, but also Najee Harris himself.

As far as the offensive line goes, they’ve brought in a couple guys to compete. The best of those additions is quite easily James Daniel. Daniel immediately becomes the best lineman on the roster if you ask me. Youngsters Dan Moore Jr., Kevin Dotson, Kendrick Green, and Chukwuma Okorafor are all promising players that should take a jump as a unit in 2022.

So many things are leaning in the favor of Harris right now. An upgrade at quarterback, an offensive line that is continuing to improve, and another year of development for himself. The Steelers offense begins and ends with Harris, for better or worse. This is the year that Harris goes from a star, to a full-blown superstar. All signs are pointing up for Pittsburgh.