Today, we are examining one of my favorite players in the 2021 NFL draft class, star Alabama running back Najee Harris. Harris collected the accolades in 2020, which include a unanimous All-American selection, CFP National Champion, SEC champion, First Team All-SEC and SEC Championship Game MVP. Harris rushed for 1,466 yards and 26 touchdowns on 251 carries this past season.
Strengths: At 6’2” 230 lbs, Harris is an absolute monster at the RB position, running with incredible power and effort. He is by far the most physical running back in this draft class and is extremely difficult to bring down because of his size, power, contact balance, and frenetic energy. He is constantly churning his legs for extra yardage. This gives him a unique ability to create yardage even when there aren’t any there. Harris is unstoppable in short yardage and goal line situations. Despite being so big, Harris actually has a surprisingly good athletic profile, gifting him an incredibly rare combination of physical traits. His burst through the hole is impressive, and he is way shiftier and elusive than given credit for, with real ability to make defenders miss in open space. His hurdling ability also makes for highlight reel plays. Harris is a smart, decisive runner with solid vision as well, allowing blocks to develop and almost always making the right decision. He is a very natural and reliable receiver, displaying soft hands and an ability to make tough catches in traffic. After the catch, his physical traits and aggressive mentality make him very dangerous.
Weaknesses: Harris is a very good athlete, and an exceptional one for his size, but he does not possess great breakaway speed. It is not necessarily a weakness, as he does win some footraces, but he can get caught from behind. He has carried the ball many times in college, meaning he has a lot of mileage on his tires, which could shorten his career in the NFL or reduce the amount of years that he is elite at his position. His upright running style and top-notch physicality also lead to taking many hits, although he did not have durability issues at Alabama. Harris is willing in pass protection, but his technique needs to be built from the ground up to make him reliable in this area.
Bottom Line: Harris is the best running back in this draft class, and that is no knock on Travis Etienne. Harris’ size, toughness, and physicality is extremely rare, and the athleticism, burst, and shiftiness he combines with those traits is unreal. Harris is quite simply a beast of a runner, and he will continue shining in the NFL as a future Pro Bowler. What cements his very high grade in my eyes is that he is a very reliable receiver as well, allowing him to be an every-down workhorse back. I expect Harris to become a top-5 running back in the NFL.
Draft Projection: Mid-late first round
Grade: 1.2 (indicative of an early first round, top 10 grade)
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