Much has been said about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ approach to upgrading the offense ahead of the 2023 NFL season under general manager Omar Khan. A lot of it has been done to help quarterback Kenny Pickett and understandably so. However, one player who could help ease the stress on offense for everyone is running back Najee Harris. Part of a rebuilding offense, he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype after two seasons in Pittsburgh.
According to CBS Sports analyst Chris Trapasso, Harris’ performance has him squarely on the list of eight players entering a make-or-break 2023 season.
“Harris has yet to average 4.0 yards per carry throughout the course of an NFL season,” Trapasso wrote. “We all applauded his rookie campaign though, when he was the heart-and-soul [of] an otherwise stagnant, predictable Steelers offense with a shoddy offensive line. In 2022, strides were made up front, but Harris’ yards-per-carry average actually dipped from 3.9 to 3.8 and his yards-after-contact rate reduced from 2.98 as a rookie to 2.74 in Year 2. He did force [missed] tackles at a higher rate…in his sophomore season as a pro.”
The 2023 offseason has been a busy one across the league, but it potentially might become the turning point in the conversation around running backs. Whether it’s New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh Jacobs, the Dallas Cowboys’ Tony Pollard, or even the Baltimore Ravens’ J.K. Dobbins, there are plenty of quality running backs trying to get the most money they can this offseason by whatever leverage they have. The reality is that running backs, even the super-productive ones, don’t have a very long shelf life in the NFL.
Harris’ problem is that his production has been mixed in his first two years after the Steelers drafted him 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. As Trapasso noted, Harris saw a drop in his production in a number of areas in his second season. Not only did he average fewer yards per carry and have fewer total yards, his first-down percentage dropped from 20.2 to 16.5 and he only had one carry for 20+ yards in 2022 versus six such carries in 2021.
He was also less productive in the passing game with 33 fewer receptions and 238 fewer yards causing his yards-per-catch average to dip from 6.3 to 5.6. However, his catches resulted in first downs 39% of the time versus 29.7% as a rookie.
If the Steelers want to realize their aim of returning to championship-contender status this year, Harris needs to be more productive. He’s entering his third year in the league, and the Steelers added even more talent up front, especially with guard Isaac Seumalo and rookie offensive tackle Broderick Jones. Harris also needs to be more productive for his personal future and goals, and he’s already aware of how bleak that future can be for NFL running backs.
It’s easy to point out what areas Harris needs to improve in, and it also looks like Pittsburgh put the effort in to make both his life and his quarterback’s life easier. Now it all needs to come together starting at training camp and truly come Week One against the San Francisco 49ers. At least to Trapasso, making all that come together for Harris is crucial this year.
“Harris will either become another example as to why teams should not use a Round 1 pick on a back or be an integral, multi-faceted component of a young and fun upstart Steelers offense this season.”
There’s no question that Harris has shown the ability to make an impact in the running game and even the passing game. Now he needs to prove that on a play-by-play basis. A successful year for him will likely mean a successful year for the Steelers’ offense and the team as a whole.
