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Good Morning Football co-host Nate Burleson said he feels that Najee Harris will be the next legendary Pittsburgh Steelers running back. The 23-year-old will have big shoes to fill seeing as Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis are two of the best to ever play running back in the NFL.
Najee Harris could be Steelers' long-term RB
Shortly after Najee Harris was drafted, Burleson – a former NFL wide receiver himself – said that Harris was the "perfect pick" and that the Steelers got a "steal" with the 24th overall pick in the first-round. Burleson also stated that by looking at the stage Ben Roethlisberger is currently in his career, he isn't able to push the ball down the field. With a strong running back, he will be able to quickly hand the ball off and not have to make short passes, doing what ended up spoiling the Steelers' season toward the end of 2020 and into the postseason.
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Harris is a playmaker that the Steelers offense needs and has lacked since Le'Veon Bell departed. In his segment "The Bur-Lesson," Burleson compared Najee Harris' game to the great Steelers running backs like Franco and Bettis and showed how he made similar plays while at Alabama. With the help of the Steelers' offensive line, he can be that type of player in Pittsburgh as well and solidify their spot at the top of the AFC North.
Interestingly, Burleson compared Harris' ability to hurdle defenders to how Bettis used to "bus" his way through defenses. Harris is also a three-down back who can help develop plays and continue the series beyond the "3 and outs" that the Steelers were plagued with last season. The young running back is also a threat down the field and while that may not seem like a necessity with the wide receivers that the Steelers' roster has, it is another target option that Roethlisberger will have at his disposal.
Harris' numbers at the University of Alabama prove why the Steelers were so adamant about drafting him. Harris, a four-year player at Alabama, could have been a high draft selection in 2020 but decided to play another year with the Crimson Tide. His senior season turned out to be his best yet, improving his draft stock even further.
Harris played thirteen games with Alabama in 2020, rushing for 1,466 yards and 26 rushing touchdowns, 425 receiving yards and forty-three receiving yards. He rushed for over 3,800 yards in his career at Alabama.
