Najee Harris was the star of Steelers minicamp. The Alabama standout was routinely the last player on the practice field and asserted himself as a dynamic playmaker. You can still quibble about the Steelers selecting a running back in the first round, but it's apparent Harris was the most explosive option available.
If you have any doubts, check out this catch. During drills Wednesday, Harris channeled his inner-OBJ and showed off an incredible one-handed grab.
On The Fan Morning Show Thursday, reporter Josh Rowntree extolled Harris' playmaking skills. "This guy is a freak NFL athlete," Rowntree said. "He's going to burn defensive backs. He is a tremendous wide receiver. I was skeptical on Najee Harris. I'm no longer skeptical on Najee Harris. He's going to be a big time part of their offense."
Harris was an excellent pass-catcher in college, raking in 729 receiving yards over the last two years. His 2,080 yards after contact since 2018 is the fifth-most in college football.
Prior to the NFL Draft, LaDainian Tomlinson favorably compared Harris to a young Le'Veon Bell.
With that in mind, Harris should be a good big part of Matt Canada's offense. The longtime coordinator is tasked with introducing more movement into Pittsburgh's staid shotgun-centric offense. Though Canada was deferential to Ben Roethlisberger this week, he also talked about his mission to get Harris involved.
It's a goal that running backs coach Eddie Faulkner endorses. He's incessantly talked up Harris' work ethic all month.
"He's always wagging his tail, ready to learn," Faulkner said this week. "That's fun as a coach."
It should be fun to watch as a fan, too.
