Najee Harris had an up-and-down season in 2023, a slow start to the year before finishing strong in the back half of the season capped off by back-to-back 100 yard rushing games and 3 total touchdowns in Weeks 17 and 18. He seemed to lack burst early on in the season, causing many fans to call for an increase in backup Jaylen Warren’s workload. But by the end of the year, Harris established himself as a true power runner, shedding tackles left and right, and getting downhill with a purpose.
He finished the year with 255 carries for 1,035 yards (4.1-yard average) and 8 touchdowns, reaching the 1,000 yard mark for the third consecutive year.
Still, that wasn’t enough for former NFL running back and current NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew to rank Najee Harris as anything more than average, slotting him 17th on his list of the league’s top starting running backs.
“Harris should continue to be the lead back in Pittsburgh despite the team declining his fifth-year option this offseason,” Jones-Drew wrote. “Since 2021, the physical workhorse ranks in the top four in the league in carries (834, second), rushing yards (3,269, fourth), scrimmage touches (978, first) and forced missed tackles (222, first, per PFF).
“He will again compete with Jaylen Warren for snaps this fall, but there is potential for Harris to have his best performance to date. Not only is Najee working under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who worked with Derrick Henry in Tennessee, but he’s also joined in the backfield by a pair of mobile quarterbacks (Russell Wilson and Justin Fields).”
Heading into the 2024 season, the Steelers’ backfield seems poised for a monstrous year. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren evolved into a true dynamic duo as the season progressed, with Warren’s elusiveness and pass-catching ability complementing Harris’ physicality and ability to plow forward for extra yards. As Jones-Drew mentioned, the additions of Arthur Smith at offensive coordinator as well as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback should only boost Harris’ potential. Smith loves to run the football, and he was the play caller for the Tennessee Titans during Derrick Henry’s 2,000 yard rushing season.
Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith have emphasized the team’s desire to reestablish their identity as a physical team who will dominate the trenches and run the ball down the opponent’s throats. The Steelers drafted three offensive lineman in the first four rounds of the 2024 draft in an effort to increase their physicality and strengthen their run-blocking, which has been inconsistent over the past few seasons. With improved play calling, better quarterback play and a rapidly-developing offensive line, Harris and Warren are poised for fantastic 2024 seasons.
Unfortunately for Najee Harris on this list, Jones-Drew’s ranking only accounts for the RB1, not the backfield as a whole. It’s also the reason why Warren doesn’t appear on his list. While Harris’ name doesn’t pop the same as Alvin Kamara or Josh Jacobs ranked above him, the combination of Harris and Warren would certainly be ranked a top 10 running back room in the league, if not in consideration for the best overall RB room in the NFL.
It’s time for Harris to take the league by storm with Warren by his side, spearheading one of the most proficient rushing attacks in the NFL. If Harris stays healthy, opposing linebackers and defensive backs better tighten their chin-straps, because he’ll be running angry this season, on a mission to prove he’s a top-tier running back deserving of more respect.
