The Steelers got a well-rounded running back in Alabama’s Najee Harris. Here are his high-end, low-end, and most likely comparisons in the NFL.
For only the second time in the past 31 years, the Pittsburgh Steelers took a running back in the first round of the NFL draft. This is a position that the team has never put a lot of draft capital into. Even Jerome Bettis and Le’Veon Bell – two of the best backs to ever wear black and gold – were acquired for just second-round picks.
Fans clearly have high hopes for rookie running back Najee Harris, and it’s fair to expect big things. Najee was a terrific runner during his college days at Alabama, but who does he compare to in the NFL?
This is one of my favorite pieces every year. Fans want to know who their top draft choices could potentially be in the NFL. After putting in many hours of film study, here are my high-end, low-end, most likely NFL player comparisons for new Steelers running back, Najee Harris:
High-end NFL comparison: Steven Jackson
Every Steelers fan should be thrilled if this is the player that Harris ends up being for the Steelers. Though Steven Jackson never earned honors as a first-team All-Pro player, he was one of the best backs in the business for a very long time.
There are many similarities that Harris shares with Jackson. For starters, both running backs were considered first-round prospects coming out of college, and they had very similar size profiles (6’2”, 230-plus pounds). However, instead of just being bruising backs that charged up the middle of the defense, Jackson and Harris both have an incredible amount of finesse for their size.
What’s perhaps most similar between the two backs is their ability to dominate in every facet of the game – particularly as receivers. Even at his size, Jackson was one of the best receiving backs in the game. In 2006, he earned a whopping 90 catches and 806 receiving yards. In his best-case scenario, Harris could follow a similar path. If he can stay pretty healthy and have a long NFL career, this is a perfect high-end comparison for Najee Harris.
Low-end NFL comparison: T.J. Yeldon
Obviously, this would be utterly disappointing if Najee Harris only turned out to be T.J. Yeldon in the NFL. Though Harris was a better prospect coming out of college, it’s not hard to draw a lot of similarities between the two players.
Yeldon was the 36th overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015. Like Harris, Yeldon was thoroughly productive during his time at Alabama – racking up 3,322 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns in just three seasons. As a prospect, many thought he could be one of the best running backs in the league with his size and do-it-all profile… He was not.
At 6’1” and 226 pounds, Yeldon possesses a similar frame as Najee Harris. He also proved to be a quality receiver – catching at least 50 passes twice during his first four seasons. Unfortunately, nagging injuries derailed Yeldon’s career early. Though his first 6 seasons, Yeldon has played in a combined 60 games and has not finished a season healthy. This is despite never missing a game at Alabama.
Now entering his seventh NFL season, the veteran running back now sits in free agency after playing his last two seasons in Buffalo. Despite his former high draft status, Yeldon is a complete afterthought. Clearly, much would have to go wrong for Najee Harris to have a Yeldon-like career path, but they were both similar players at Alabama. I think Harris only reaches this level of low if he is continually injured in the NFL.
Most likely NFL comparison: Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon is a running back that seems to fly under the radar – perhaps it’s because he has played for one of the NFL’s worst teams over the past four years. However, I think he could be the most likely NFL player comparison for Najee Harris in the NFL.
At 6’1” and 228 pounds, Mixon has terrific size for the position but can do everything at a high level. Though he’s lacking a top gear to go the distance from 80 yards, so is Harris. However, both running backs are remarkably well-rounded when it comes to their rushing, block, and receiving ability.
Mixon wasn’t healthy last year and only played 6 games before his season was cut short. However, in both 2018 and 2019, 1,100 yards and averaged almost 40 catches in each season. Mixon is an efficient running back despite not having a great offensive line to work with, and I can see Najee Harris producing similar results.
Harris also shares a lot of similarities with former Steelers running back, Le’Veon Bell. However, from a size, athletic, and playstyle perspective, the Joe Mixon NFL comparison just makes a lot of sense.
Though he might not be quite as bruising of a runner, I think Najee Harris could be Steven Jackson if all goes according to plan. While I don’t see him ever hitting the floor of T.J. Yeldon, we have seen some very good Alabama runners not turn out in the NFL. More than likely, Harris will have a career path that resembles Bengals running back, Joe Mixon.