All 90 is a Pittsburgh Steelers Now series profiling each of the 90 members of the Steelers 2021 offseason roster.
22 • Najee Harris, rookie running back
6-foot-2, 230 pounds
Acquired: Drafted with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the first time the Steelers used a first-round pick on a running back since 2008.
College: A rare two-year starter at the running back position for Nick Saban’s Alabama Squad, Harris rushed for 1,224 yards as a junior in 2019, but returned to Tuscaloosa for his senior season in 2020, winning a second national title and the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best back.
Harris finished as the Crimson Tide’s all-time leader in rushing yards with 3,843 and touchdowns with 57.
Camp outlook: Harris is the overwhelming favorite to be the Steelers’ starting running back, with James Conner having moved on in free agency.
How much Harris shares the rock remains to be seen. There is experienced depth in Benny Snell Jr. and Kalen Ballage and second-year back Anthony McFarland Jr. showed promise as a rookie in 2020.
Harris has a three-down skillset, but the Steelers may not want to overwhelm the rookie with too big of a workload too soon. The team reduced rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool’s role down the stretch in 2020, but that is a position group with greater depth than the Steelers currently possess at running back.
Future: Harris’ rookie deal runs through 2024 and the Steelers possess an option for 2025, making Harris the Steelers player under team control for the longest.
The rest of the 90:
