4 Steelers who are very overrated heading into training camp

Steelers RB Harris

A player that is receiving a lot of hype this offseason is Najee Harris. The Steelers first-round pick from last year, Harris looked the part of a workhorse back. He runs with a lot of power, can serve as a receiver, and can block when needed. He compiled a lot of yards as a rookie despite the offense not being an extremely effective unit.

While Harris is a good player, piling on the expectations that have already been laid out for him seems premature. Sure, Harris broke the Steelers rookie rushing record, but that was previously held by Franco Harris who earned that mark in only 12 games. While a workhorse, Harris wasn’t efficient as a runner. The yardage numbers he posted were due to his workload more so than his pure talent.

While many point to the offense as a whole as the reason Harris struggled, as a first-round pick, he should have been able to overcome some of those problems. If his success is truly tied to how good the offensive line is, then his 2022 season will likely only be marginally better since the line only marginally improved. Harris is a good player but claiming he is elite after a so-so rookie season is not true. He can put these doubts to bed with a strong second season, but he needs to prove a lot before one can count him as an elite player.