Najee Harris Ranked 13th-Best Running Back Entering 2021 Season by Sporting News

After establishing himself as one of the best running backs in the country during his time at Alabama, Steelers and NFL fans alike remain anxious to see how Najee Harris’ game translates to the NFL.

Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News believes that Harris can make the adjustment fairly well, ranking him at 13th on his list of the league’s top-30 running backs. 

Iyer refers to Harris as a “workhorse” for Pittsburgh and suggests that his role could be significant due to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s ability. He also cites his build and ability as a receiver as reasons for the ranking.

In his first taste of NFL action against Dallas in the Hall of Fame Game last week, Harris tallied 22 yards on seven carries. Last year in Tuscaloosa, Harris accumulated 1,466 rushing yards while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He had 30 total touchdowns on the season as well. 

Cleveland’s Nick Chubb topped AFC North backs with a ranking of sixth. After Harris at 13th, Chubb’s teammate, Kareem Hunt, slotted in at 16th just ahead of J.K Dobbins of Baltimore at 17th and Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon at 19th. Christian McCaffrey of the Panthers topped the list, coming in ahead of Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook and Tennessee’s Derrick Henry.