Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris and punter Pressley Harvin III have been named to the All-Rookie Team by the Pro Football Writers of America.
Harris had 1,667 yards from scrimmage this season, 1,200 of which were rushing yards. His 1,200 yards rushing was the most by a rookie this season and he also broke the Steelers’ record for most rushing yards in a season for a rookie, which Franco Harris previously held, having 1,055 rushing yards in 1972.
His 1,667 yards from scrimmage was the most for a rookie this season and fourth best in the NFL and his 10 touchdowns was second best for a rookie. The 1,667 yards from scrimmage is the most for a Steelers rookie, breaking Le’Veon Bell’s record of 1,259 yards from scrimmage in 2013.
For his performance this season, Harris won the Joe Greene Great Performance Award as the Steelers Rookie of the year.
Harris shared the honor of being a running back on the All-Rookie Team with Javonte Williams of the Denver Broncos.
Harvin ended the 2021 season with a 42.6 yard average punt and also had 25 punts within the 20-yard line. The seventh round pick missed time this season as he spent time grieving the losses of his father and his grandmother within the span of two weeks.
The AFC Wild Card game against the Kansas City Chiefs was one of his best performances of the season, punting seven times for 348 yards, an average punt of 49.7 yards, including a punt behind the 20-yard line and the longest punt being 56 yards.
This makes it the third straight season that a Steeler has been named to the All-Rookie Team, with wide receiver Chase Claypool named last year and linebacker Devin Bush named in 2019.
The PFWA also picked Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase as the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons as the Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the year.
Full PFWA All-Rookie team:
QB – Mac Jones, New England Patriots
RB – Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers; Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
WR – Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals; Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
TE – Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
C – Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs
G – Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs; Alijah Vera-Tucker; New York Jets
T – Rashawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers; Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
DL – Christian Barmore, New England Patriots; Odafe Oweh, Baltimore Ravens; Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts; Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins
LB – Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs; Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Cleveland Browns; Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
CB – Greg Newsome II, Cleveland Browns; Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
S – Jevon Holland, Miami Dolphins; Tre’Von Moehrig, Las Vegas Raiders
PK – Evan McPherson, Cincinnati Bengals
P – Pressley Harvin III, Pittsburgh Steelers
KR – Kene Nwangwu, Minnesota Vikings
PR – Demetric Felton, Cleveland Browns
ST – Nick Niemann, Los Angeles Chargers