What each Steelers rookie will struggle with during 2021

Steelers Najee Harris

Problem: Offensive Line

Out of every Steelers draft pick, Najee Harris has the highest expectations. The former Alabama running back has great size, agility, and pass-catching ability making him a traditional bell-cow back. While he will start this season, there isn’t any guarantee that he suddenly transforms this rushing attack. Of course, this unit will be better than last year, but the real question is how much better?

A lot of this stems from the line playing in front of Harris. While he is a talented back, he also greatly benefited from playing behind the best line in college football. He won’t have that luxury with the Steelers, as this is a line in flux after greatly struggling in run blocking last year. Harris will need to be able to do a lot on his own this season, and that may lead to a lesser impact than many are expecting.

This doesn’t mean that Harris will flop during his rookie season, but it could mean he has some less than impressive stats. Considering he isn’t a speedy back; his overall average rush may be brought down as he won’t have some long rushers to counteract stops behind the line of scrimmage. He should still improve this rushing unit in year one, but don’t be surprised if he struggles more than expected as he has to do a lot of producing on his own with little help from the line.

The Steelers will hope to get a good bit of production from their rookie class in 2021. While some will play more than others, each will hope to carve out a role as a rookie. That said, don’t be surprised to see a typical level of a rookie struggle this year. Each rookie has some issues that they will need to resolve if they want to make a significant impact on the team.