Regardless of JuJu’s input, Najee Harris is still no good for the Steelers

The rumors of Najee Harris joining the Pittsburgh Steelers for next season are becoming more and more substantiated.

JuJu Smith-Schuster is no stranger to voicing his opinion on virtually anything. This time around, when questioned about who the Steel City should add to their arsenal for 2021, the wide receiver endorsed the widely accepted idea of Alabama’s star running back Najee Harris being drafted in the first round of the rapidly-approaching NFL Draft, that starts at the end of this month.

Such a take has been disputed amongst the Pittsburgh demographic, due most namely to the acknowledgment of how running back is quite low on the list of priorities for the Steelers. Positions like those of both offensive linemen and defensive backs seem like they should be bigger question marks to address.

I, myself have been a critic of the entire 1st-round running back concept, especially considering the multiple talents in the rushing game that are already on the Pittsburgh depth chart. Said talents include Benny Snell and, of course, Pro Bowl RB James Conner.

Why Harris isn’t a top need for Steelers

Veteran gunslinger Big Ben Roethlisberger will be accompanied by the receiving star power of Chase Claypool, James Washington, Diontae Johnson, and the aforementioned JuJu Smith-Schuster next season. Route-running tight end Eric Ebron will also be an impactful presence for the Steelers offensive regime.

To put it simply, with all of that attrition on the passing game, it invalidates any mentality that involves using your sole draft pick in the inaugural round on a running back even further. If Pitt refuses to focus on a position that is weak, then they should at least aim to focus on one that will be relied upon more heavily.

As difficult as it may be to believe, the point here is not to slaughter the thought of the Steelers obtaining Najee Harris. Instead, the objective is to erase the mindset of them selecting any RB in round one altogether. Harris is certainly an outstanding player, that any team would be lucky to have grace their roster. However, he merely is not the Pittsburgh Steelers top need, and he would be worth much more to a number of other teams who, too, were interested in taking him with their first pick.

Basically, from a strategic standpoint, let’s all hope that JuJu Smith-Schuster’s words on the discussion of who Pittsburgh should take first means nothing in the long run. Unfortunately, this is unlikely, as he has proven to be a loyal member of the offense that would be benefitting from his verdict. If all of this does ultimately result in Najee Harris coming out of our first selection, the Steelers better find some steals in the ones to follow.