Throughout the entirety of the NFL offseason, the next generation of stars in the league have been meeting with teams and preparing for a transition to the best football league in the world. One player who has been drawing a lot of attention ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft is Alabama running back Najee Harris.
Harris is a 6-foot-2 running back who could be a top-20 selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. He is the number one running back in the draft class this year and he’s not expected to be on the draft board for too long in the first round.
He has a very unique running style and he reminds me a bit of a better combination between Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook. Harris has the build and inside running abilities of Murray, but he has the athleticism and finesse of a guy like Cook.
In his college career, he ran the rock 638 times for 3,843 rushing yards (6.0 yards per carry) and scored 46 touchdowns on the ground. Harris also hauled in 80 receptions for 781 receiving yards and scored an additional 11 touchdowns through the air. There’s a handful of teams who could be in the mix for Harris, but we broke down the best four.
Let’s take a look at the four best landing spots for Alabama running back Najee Harris in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins need to enhance their backfield and the addition of Harris could certainly help them do just that. Harris has a very aggressive running style and he has all the tools to be a dominant NFL running back if he’s drafted to the right team.
Harris would surely welcome being selected by the Dolphins as he would get to reunite with his college teammate Tua Tagovailoa and play in the same division as his older brother Damien Harris who plays for the New England Patriots. The Dolphins are proving that they’re invested in developing Tagovailoa into an elite quarterback in the NFL, and adding a familiar face in the backfield could help him in that transition.
He would thrive on a very good Dolphins squad and he would get to start from the moment he arrived in town. Harris would be a major addition to the Dolphins and they could be a playoff caliber team with Harris in the backfield.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are one of a handful of teams that needs to make a splash in terms of upgrading their backfield. They have been rolling with some underwhelming talent in their backfield to say the least and they could change that by opting to select Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Harris has a perfect running style for the Jets. He isn’t overly fast, but he has agility and is nimble enough to dodge potential tacklers. In addition, he is also very powerful, which would surely help him average at least 3.5 to four yards per carry in the Jets’ backfield.
New York’s offensive line isn’t quite where they want it to be, but it has made strides at getting better. Harris doesn’t need a 2016 Dallas Cowboys offensive line in order to be successful, which is one of the reasons he’s such a highly sought after running back.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills only have one real weakness that I can think of off the top of my head, and that’s their backfield woes. They could solve all of their rushing concerns by snagging Alabama running back Najee Harris at pick number 30 if he’s still available.
Unfortunately for the Bills, Harris likely won’t be available for them to pick up without trading up in the draft to snag him, which is something I’m not sure they’d be willing to do. Harris would be unreal for the Bills though. He would be able to play in the same division as his brother Damien Harris, who plays for the New England Patriots, and he would thrive alongside some great talent in the 406.
Josh Allen is quickly emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he’s had to do a lot of running the football himself due to the lack of consistency and availability by his Buffalo backs. The addition of Harris would change that narrative in a heartbeat and could help the Bills pursue a championship in 2021.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers need to address their obvious need for a running back and Harris could be a guy they set their sights on. Pittsburgh is currently set to pick at number 22 in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and Najee Harris could be the move at that spot if he’s still on the board.
The Steelers haven’t had outstanding production from the running back position since Le’Veon Bell left the team and that is something that could be addressed with the addition of Harris. Harris has the build and power running style of the Saints’ Latavius Murray, but he also has a similar athletic ability to that of Dalvin Cook.
There’s no doubt that Harris would be a major upgrade at the running back position, and the Steelers could look to pick him up if he’s available. Don’t be shocked if the Steelers make a splash by selecting Najee Harris.
