Steelers Najee Harris isn’t a bad prospect, just bad value

Harris is a fine-looking running back prospect, but that doesn’t mean him being selected in the first is a disappointment for the Steelers.

There is a really important thing that needs to be addressed with the Steelers selecting running back Najee Harris at pick 24. By calling the pick a disappointment or a reach, it doesn’t mean you think the player is bad per se. Value is comprised of multiple different aspects. A player’s skills, fit, and positional value all play into their draft-day value.

I may have said that picking Harris doesn’t represent good value, but that doesn’t mean I think Harris is a bad prospect. In terms of his physical build and impressive game film, Harris was the best running back prospect in the draft followed closely behind by Javonte Williams in my opinion. I fully expect Harris to be a good running back, and one that should start for the Steelers from day one. Anyone that says otherwise would naturally believe that he is a bad prospect and will be a conventional bust (like an Artie Burns or Jarvis Jones).

Think back to when Sebastian Janikowski being a first-round pick by the Raiders. He went on to have one of the better careers for a kicker, but the value was still not worth a first-round pick. Now, Harris isn’t there, as running backs have more value than a kicker, but the similarities are there. Most teams use a variety of backs due to just how quickly this position wears down. The bell-cow back isn’t dead yet, but it certainly is a part of a dying breed.

Think about the previous Super Bowl winners and just how many of them had a coveted first-round running back that they had invested in to lead their backfield. The modern NFL doesn’t need a bell cow anymore, instead relying on a few different backs to spread out the workload.

The only reasons taking a running back in the first is valuable

There are only three times taking a running back in the first makes sense. The first is if you have absolutely no holes on the roster. That was the argument that the Chiefs seemingly made last season when they took Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the last pick of the first round. Unfortunately, he failed to make much of an impact in terms of being a difference-maker for the Chiefs, and the team could have been more competitive in the Super Bowl had they looked elsewhere in the first. As for the Steelers, they had plenty of other holes that could have been addressed in the first round.

The second reasoning is if that back has dynamic receiving ability. These are your Max McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara (who wasn’t drafted until the third-round mind you) types. Backs that are threats on the ground and can serve as receivers in a pinch. They essentially function as two positions, and if they are elite at receiving as well as running, taking them in the first is better justified. Harris has some receiving ability, but don’t mistake him for one of those top receiving backs.

Finally, the only other time you can justify taking a running back in the first is if they are Derrick Henry. By that, I mean they are prospect so elite that no matter what the defense schemes for or focuses on he can still be a top player. Out of all of these options, this is the best chance for Harris to be worth a first-round pick. That said, that is an extremely lofty goal for any player, and it would be a surprise if Harris becomes that simply due to how rare of a player that is today.

Again, don’t take this as a person bashing Harris. I think he looks like a fine running back prospect that should start from week one this season. The issue is, running backs aren’t a particularly valuable position in the modern NFL. Unless Harris transcends the position and becomes the top back in the league, it will be hard to justify taking him in the first. He shouldn’t be a bust, but that doesn’t mean him being pick isn’t a disappointment from a value standpoint.