Steelers get their RB in Najee Harris, Fantasy Impact

The Pittsburgh Steelers were long rumored to be going running back in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and that came to fruition Thursday, with the team landing on Alabama RB Najee Harris with the No. 24 pick.

(Check out the FTN Najee Harris scouting report here.)

Harris was the 2020 Doak Walker Award winner, given to the top running back in college football, and was a unanimous All-American. He totaled 1,891 scrimmage yards in 2020 and scored a whopping 30 touchdowns. The Steelers had a top-10 PPR back every year from 2014 to 2018 (Le'Veon Bell three times, DeAngelo Williams and James Conner once each), but hasn’t had a back finish in the top 25 either of the last two years.

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Where there is smoke, there is (sometimes) fire. Harris had been linked to the Steelers for weeks, and he immediately steps in as the starting running back. The Pittsburgh run game was bad last season, but Harris can excel behind a shaky offensive line, as he was second in the nation in missed tackles forced (71) and second in yards after contact (821). Harris is also an elite pass-catcher with a rare catch radius for a running back and I expect him to see 17-20 touches per game right out of the gate, even if Pittsburgh remains a pass-first team. Harris’ ADP won’t climb like last year’s first round rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but he should be viewed as a top-15 fantasy running back heading into 2021. — Adam Pfeifer