5 notable standouts from Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 OTA’s
By Andrew Falce
RB Najee Harris
No one has had a stronger start to the training process than Najee Harris. From the moment he stepped into rookie minicamp, Harris has looked and acted the part of a starting running back. From explosiveness in drills to great off-the-field contributions to having his calf muscle be compared to an actual football due to the mass, Harris has gotten his NFL career off on the right foot.
What has really been impressive with Harris is his agility so far in drills. Outside of maybe Anthony McFarland, who is about 25 pounds lighter, Harris has been the most impressive with his footwork through drills. You don’t normally see that in a bigger back like himself, as evident by some of the struggles that Benny Snell has had in these same drills. Power backs typically rely less on lateral agility and are more north/south runners. Harris seems like he has the agility to function better in space as a runner.
While Harris didn’t need a strong OTA period to better his cause as a starting running back, seeing him excel so early on is a great sign of what is to come. If he wants any shot at some offseason awards or a potentially deep playoff run, Harris will need to become a key figure on the Steelers’ offense. The early reports look good, and a strong camp to follow would certainly better his cause.
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The Steelers OTA’s are a time for unproven and young players to make some noise before training camp begins. While not necessary, a strong showing here can translate to more opportunities during camp, which in turn makes getting on the roster easier. These five Steelers bumped their stock up during OTA’s, so now look for that success to translate into camp.