Please, compare Najee Harris to the last Steelers 1st round RB

As we prepare to officially enter the prime of draft season, I have been thinking about draft mistakes the Steelers have made, and specifically how the team needs to avoid any major catastrophes this year. This roster needs to target talent at important positions to build a strong roster around Kenny Pickett.

Those of you that have followed along with me know my stance on using a top pick on a running back. Frankly, it is a mistake unless that player is a truly game-changing back. That includes Najee Harris, whom the team selected in the first round of the 2021 draft. If you are still firmly in the camp that Harris was a great use of that selection, I’m here to tell you that you are wrong.

The idea of Harris is better than the actual result. The Steelers took a big bruising back that can handle the majority of touches and grind out games. He would fix the running game, provide the offense an identity after Ben Roethlisberger, and would keep this team competitive despite questions surrounding the future of the quarterback position.

None of that has happened so far, and I don’t see much significantly changing for Harris. He hasn’t been a disaster, and he hasn’t been running behind an elite line, but the results still can’t be viewed fondly. It has been so mediocre, I wanted to take some time to compare them to the last Steelers first-round running back Rashard Mendenhall.