{"id":111078,"date":"2021-04-25T10:30:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-25T14:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=111078"},"modified":"2025-09-25T12:03:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:03:01","slug":"najee-harris-nfl-draft-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021\/04\/25\/najee-harris-nfl-draft-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 NFL Draft: Najee Harris Player Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Najee Harris NFL Draft Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Position:<\/strong> Running Back<br \/>\n<strong>Height:<\/strong> 6\u2019 1\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Weight:<\/strong> 232 lbs<br \/>\n<strong>School:<\/strong> University of Alabama<br \/>\n<strong>Arms:<\/strong> 33 \u00bc\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Hands:<\/strong> 10 \u00bc\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2021-nfl-draft-profiles\/\" target=\"_self\"><strong>More 2021 NFL Draft Profiles<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Najee Harris 2021 NFL Draft Profile<\/h2>\n<h3>Overview<\/h3>\n<p>Najee Harris is the bell-cow running back from Alabama entering the draft following a national championship season. Harris, just coming off a tremendous season, looks to be one of the top five running backs drafted in 2021. His collegiate career began following a stellar high school career. Harris was a five-star prospect out of Antioch High School in the San Francisco area. He was a highly sought after recruit with offers from nearly every football blue blood in the NCAA.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;4998&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>Harris\u2019 NCAA career was slow early on, involved in timeshares and stuck behind <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JacoJo01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Jacobs<\/a>. In 2018 Harris split time with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HarrDa06.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Damien Harris<\/a> before winning the job outright in 2019. The senior running back ran nearly a mile on teams in 2020 with 1,466 yards. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns. Harris is a versatile athlete and a skilled pass catcher. He had 425 receiving yards on 43 catches with four touchdowns. Harris is also very durable with only two minor injuries in his career at Alabama. These injuries included an injured ankle during the 2020 national championship and a foot injury requiring a cast in 2018, the latter costing him zero games in the respective season.<\/p>\n<p>Harris is a physical ball carrier, much like the Crimson Tide backs that came before him. He would be a great addition to any team in need of a reliable ball carrier to move the chains and soften the opponents\u2019 deep coverage to open up the passing game. While at Alabama, Harris played in three national championship games and winning two: 2017 &amp; 2020. Harris also was voted a unanimous All-American, first-team SEC, and was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WalkDo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Doak Walker<\/a> Award winner.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Najee Harris in the last two seasons<\/p>\n<p>\u2668\ufe0f 3,417 total yards<br \/>\u2668\ufe0f 1,568 rushing yards after contact<br \/>\u2668\ufe0f 50 total TDs <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/6LxjPyVo17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/6LxjPyVo17<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; PFF Fantasy &amp; Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PFF_Fantasy\/status\/1383858493334061064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 18, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Strengths<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Physical, down-hill runner;<\/li>\n<li>NFL size;<\/li>\n<li>Acceleration: Ability to jump and cut quickly;<\/li>\n<li>Durable;<\/li>\n<li>Great pass catcher;<\/li>\n<li>Above average route runner;<\/li>\n<li>Ball security: Only one fumble lost in college career.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Weaknesses<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Lack of patience: Harris will run into blockers at times. Doesn\u2019t always wait for the hole to open;<\/li>\n<li>He takes more hits than necessary: Runs into tacklers rather than stepping out of bounds;<\/li>\n<li>Average speed: He will get caught from behind on homerun plays;<\/li>\n<li>Age: Harris will be 23 years old when entering the NFL;<\/li>\n<li>Below average pass protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>NFL Comparison:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HenrDe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick Henry<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>NFL Team Fits:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/steelers\/\" target=\"_self\">Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/dolphins\/\" target=\"_self\">Miami Dolphins<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/buccaneers\/\" target=\"_self\">Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Harris would fit well in Pittsburgh with the absence of a dominant running back. The young, future phenom, also has a physical style of running that would fit well with Mike Tomlin\u2019s current offensive scheme. Harris is a tall running back, similar to Le\u2019Veon Bell&#8211;a former Pittsburgh star. Najee Harris\u2019 pass-catching abilities are also similar to Bell\u2019s. The Steelers have not been able to transition from Bell since the superstar sat out before leaving in free agency to the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/jets\/\" target=\"_self\">New York Jets<\/a>. Harris could step in and fill that void with tremendous production.<\/p>\n<p>The Dolphins drafting Najee Harris makes too much sense at this point. Many mock drafts put DeVonta Smith in Miami, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TagoTu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tua Tagovailoa<\/a> is the current quarterback, and there is not a workhorse in Miami as of right now (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GaskMy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Myles Gaskin<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/A\/AhmeSa01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Salvon Ahmed<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BrowMa01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malcom Brown<\/a> are all three currently on Miami\u2019s roster). Why not round off the offense by drafting the best running back in the 2021 class, who also happens to have played for Alabama. Tagovailoa, Smith, and Harris could be a three headed monster from Tuscaloosa feasting on the AFC East.<\/p>\n<p>Harris would also fit great in Tampa Bay with Bruce Arians and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BradTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tom Brady<\/a>. Harris&#8217; down-hill running style fits well with the Buccaneers as evidenced by success from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JoneRo01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ronald Jones<\/a>, when healthy, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/F\/FourLe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leonard Fournette<\/a>. The Buccaneers also have a great offensive line in place to protect Brady and control the line of scrimmage, spelling success for a young star running back. Tampa Bay is a great fit for Harris as Tom Brady looks to push the ball vertically to an elite wide receiving core with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=EvanMi00,EvanMi20,EvanMi21&amp;search=Mike+Evans&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mike Evans<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GodwCh00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Godwin<\/a>, Scotty Miller, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JohnTy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Johnson<\/a>. These elite wide receivers will soften the box, leaving plenty of running room for Harris. This play-action pass and running game scheme fits well with the relentless pass rush Tampa Bay displayed in Superbowl LV.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Which offense would be more dangerous with Najee Harris? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/RsHaOlFSqA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/RsHaOlFSqA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; B\/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brgridiron\/status\/1385269612070285317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 22, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Projection:<\/strong> Mid to Late 1<sup>st<\/sup> round, First running back drafted<\/p>\n<h3>Bottom Line on Najee Harris<\/h3>\n<p>Najee Harris enters the NFL Draft as a powerful, down-hill runner similar to former Alabama running backs such as Derrick Henry. He is different from these bruisers in his ability to run routes and catch passes. Harris is a reliable running back who rarely fumbles and has consistently avoided injury. The former Crimson Tide running back held his own private track meet, running for 5.8 yards per carry, while playing against the county\u2019s premiere football conference.<\/p>\n<p>He would be a valuable addition to any team devoid of a consistent three down back. Once getting to the NFL and learning an offense, Harris will learn the team\u2019s playbook and responsibilities in pass protection to earn a bell-cow role from day one. Harris looks to become an all-pro running back for the next half-decade once he learns patience and how to protect his body, avoiding the big hits. At 6\u2019 1\u201d 232 pounds he will be a ground and pound runner that looks to becoming stronger in the fourth quarter, much like his predecessors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Najee Harris NFL Draft Overview Position: Running Back Height: 6\u2019 1\u201d Weight: 232 lbs School: University of Alabama Arms: 33 \u00bc\u201d Hands: 10 \u00bc\u201d More 2021 NFL Draft Profiles Najee Harris 2021 NFL Draft Profile Overview Najee Harris is the bell-cow running back from Alabama entering the draft following a national championship season. Harris, just [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3737,"featured_media":111261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647,33760],"tags":[7426,2030],"class_list":["post-111078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","category-profiles","tag-najee-harris","tag-nfl-draft-profiles"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3737"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111078"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":246920,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111078\/revisions\/246920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/111261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}