4 takeaways from Steelers taking Najee Harris in the NFL Draft

The Steelers didn’t stray from the plan on draft day. Here are my four takeaways from taking Najee Harris in the NFL Draft. 

Well, the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books, and I honestly can’t say I’m surprised. Disappointed? Yes. But not surprised. For months now, Alabama running back Najee Harris has been the most commonly mocked player to the Pittsburgh Steelers and recent reports suggested that he would be the pick if he was available with the 24th overall selection.

That came to fruition on Thursday night. Though the board was laid out in a way that could have allowed the Steelers to go in a number of different directions, Pittsburgh narrowed in on a position they have tried and failed to fix over the past four NFL Drafts.

Najee Harris should provide an immediate spark to an ailing offense that had the league’s worst rushing attack in 2020, but was he worth such a high draft pick? Here are my four takeaways from the Steelers taking Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft:

Steelers did what we thought they would

As I mentioned, Pittsburgh didn’t stray from the book at all here. Every Steelers fan and their mother knew that this rushing attack was an issue last year. While Pittsburgh clearly had several big needs they could have chosen to fill – like center, cornerback, and offensive tackle – none was more pressing to them than grabbing a quality running back early in the draft.

With his combination of size, power, receiving ability, and production at the nation’s best football program, Pittsburgh fell in love with Harris quickly. Some (including myself) could debate whether or not Harris was even the best running back in the class, but it’s clear to see how he is going to fit in this offense as a workhorse runner. Even with quality players on the board when the Steelers were on the clock, this pick should have come as a surprise to nobody.