Back in the Middle Ages, the main means of transportation outside of walking was riding your horse from place to place, relying on a trusty steed to get you where you needed to go. Technology and means of transportation have improved immensely since medieval times, but having a thoroughbred workhorse is still often a reference when it comes to horse racing… as well as NFL football.
For decades, NFL teams looked for that “workhorse” running back who could carry the load for the offense and be that guy who can pick up the tough yardage and close out games in the fourth quarter. Guys like Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith are some of the most renowned workhorse backs in league history while guys like Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, and Le’Veon Bell served in that capacity during their respective times in Pittsburgh.
Currently, Pittsburgh’s workhorse back is Najee Harris, a former first-round pick out of Alabama who has the size and physicality to carry the load for the offense. While his role decreased last season from touching the ball 381 times as a rookie, Harris still recorded 313 touches on the year. Grant Gordon of NFL.com recently published a piece talking about Harris’ workhorse role his first two seasons with the Steelers and speculating if that will continue in 2023.
“Harris’ high usage has put him atop the record books for one of the most storied franchises in NFL chronicle,” Gordon wrote. “With 2,234 yards, Harris has the most rushing yards in a player’s first two seasons in Pittsburgh history, just ahead of Le’Veon Bell (2,261 yards) and the late Hall of Famer Franco Harris (1,753). However, it’s not all been rainbows and history books for Harris. He’s averaging just 3.9 yards per carry for his young career, which is the fewest in the NFL among 36 players with 250 or more carries. It’s not for a lack of effort or skill though, considering Harris has forced 160 missed tackles since 2021 — second most in the league, per PFF.”
There is no doubt that Harris has gotten the volume needed to be considered a workhorse back during his first two seasons, but the results haven’t been ideal. His YPC and explosive run rate haven’t been good thus far during his NFL career, and part of that is on him and his lack of speed and burst as well as his indecisiveness at times, which we saw at the beginning of last season. Still, Harris hasn’t had the best of circumstances, working with a makeshift offensive line as a rookie and experiencing the growing pains of a group that took some time to find its footing in 2022.
Following the bye week in 2022, Harris rushing for 80+ yards in six of nine games, a vast improvement from the start of the season. While rookie UDFA Jaylen Warren was still involved in the offense, Harris proved to be more efficient on a per-touch basis along with benefiting from improved play by the OL. Warren should still be involved in the offense as a change-of-pace back and potential third-down back in 2023, but Harris still should see 18+ touches like he did in seven-of-nine games last season post-bye.
With an improved OL and the passing game taking a step forward in 2023, Harris should be more effective in maximizing his touches with less defenders crowding the box and the blocking schemes springing him into the second level. Having seen 84% of the offensive snaps as a rookie and 66% in 2022, we should expect Harris’ usage to fall somewhere in the middle of those two figures this coming season as he continues to be the feature back that the Steelers drafted him to be.
