5 reasons Najee Harris wasn’t a good value for the Steelers
By Andrew Falce
Will Harris be with the Steelers long term
My final point is, even if Harris becomes a better back and is consistently playing well, where will he be in five years. The reason I ask is that like it or not, this team is set for a major rebuild from here on out. 2022 is already a wash, as this team remaining competitive seems unlikely, and the seasons past that are a real question mark.
Even if Harris becomes a perennial top 10 or top 5 back, is it going to matter for a team that is missing the playoffs each season as they hunt for their next quarterback? Probably not, and in essence, Harris will be having his body broken down for, at best, a Wildcard game in the playoffs. The team’s immediate future isn’t bright and having Harris as the lead back doesn’t really impact that.
For reference, how many games will Harris alone win in 2022? My guess would be in the one to two range, as while having a good running game is helpful, you really only need an efficient one to be successful in the NFL. Harris being a top threat on the ground won’t fix the defensive issues of offensive turnover the Steelers are set to have. He may shine, but he will be shining on a bad team.
My best-case scenario for this team is to rebuild in about one season. 2022 will be a wash while 2023 could (big emphasis on could) be back in the playoff picture. The safer bet though is probably 2024 though, as this team has a lot of holes that need to be filled. At that point, Harris will have another 600-800 touches under his belt and will have one more year and a fifth-year option left on his contract. I can’t see him getting a second deal with the team, so what will the point have been.
Must Read. Like it or not, Matt Canada will be the Steelers OC in 2022. light
Harris is a fine player and good back in the NFL, but the fact of the matter is, a good back isn’t worth a first-round pick anymore. The Steelers were in no place to take a first-round back in the last offseason, and the move may come back to haunt the team moving forward. Harris is a good player, but the position he plays makes it hard to justify the Steelers having selected him in the first round of the previous draft.