As teams around the league wait for training camp to start, the focus of the news cycle has moved to things happening off the field. And one recurring story over the past few weeks has been the demise of the running back position.
It’s been no secret that over the past decade or so, teams have slowly started moving towards a running back-by-committee approach. As fantasy football managers know all too well, a running back owning a backfield nowadays is a rare sight. But that doesn’t mean that it is totally a relic of the past.
There are still teams in the NFL that use their running game to set the tone of their offense and to set up the pass, rather than using the pass to set up the run. For these teams, an elite running back can have immense value, as you can build your offense around them.
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks took a look at ten running backs around the league that are the “engines” of their respective offenses and named Steelers’ RB Najee Harris one among them.
“Kenny Pickett’s emergence as a solid QB1 in his rookie season should help the Steelers build a dynamic offense around Harris.” wrote Brooks. “The third-year pro has been a one-man show since his arrival due to his dynamic skills as an extra large runner-receiver. The 6-2, 232-pound back has finished with at least 1,200 scrimmage yards in each of his two seasons while displaying impressive tools as a versatile workhorse.
“From his rugged running style between the tackles to running routes on the perimeter as a big-bodied pass catcher, Harris is a three-down playmaker with the potential to put the Steelers’ offense on his back.”
Everyone who watched the Steelers down the stretch of last year is anticipating improvement from QB Kenny Pickett. And he has all the tools and weapons to be better in year two. But Pickett is far from polished, and there are inevitably going to be games where he just doesn’t have it this season. In those games, the Steelers will then look to Harris to carry the offensive load. While the efficiency numbers weren’t amazing for him last season, Harris was still a reliable volume guy, who has no real weakness and can be a true workhorse back.
While mega-deals for running backs may be going the way of the VCR player and the landline telephone, the position is far from dead in today’s NFL. Having one reliable as Harris will be a blessing for the Steelers as they continue to navigate their way into the Kenny Pickett era.
