4 prospects Steelers should have taken over Najee Harris

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

Easily the player the Steelers should have taken in the first, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah should have been the pick for several reasons. While inside linebacker was no longer a top need, Owusu-Koramoah is a unique talent at inside linebacker. He has the speed and athleticism to cover tight ends and even receivers. That kind of unique talent is rare to see.

Compare that to Harris, who looks like a good running back talent but not an exceptional one and this move is puzzling. For a team that prides itself on taking the best player available, going for a running back instead of a rare breed of linebacker goes against that. Owusu-Koramoah would have given the Steelers two of the most athletic and talented inside linebackers going forward on a defense that could have been one of the best in the NFL.

While Vince Williams is set to return this season, his future with the team won’t be long given his age. Owusu-Kormoah has the talent to start over Williams anyway, so his role would have been set as a rookie. Even if the team wanted to work him onto the field, Owusu-Koramoah could have seen the field in dime and nickel defenses as a hybrid linebacker/safety style of player. At the end of the day, having a unique player like that is more valuable than Harris.

While Harris isn’t a bad running back prospect, taking him over some of the other talent in the draft was a mistake. Running backs have lost almost all of their value as teams transition to committee backs. Harris should do well enough, but the Steelers would have been better off going after a player with more value than a running back.