(Photo by Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
The Pro Football Focus College Twitter account posted an interesting stat this morning that Steelers' first-round pick Najee Harris only lost one fumble on 719 touches at Alabama, which is remarkable. Ball security can be an issue for top-tier running backs at times, just look at Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas. Of course, we will have to see if Harris' tremendous ball security skills transfer over to the pro level.
Harris' only lost fumble at Alabama came last year against Ole Miss, but it really shouldn't have counted as forward progress was already stopped.
Former Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, who Harris has been compared too often, also had great ball security, losing four fumbles on 1,541 touches in five seasons with the Steelers.
James Conner, who is now with the Cardinals and the running back that Harris is replacing, lost three fumbles on 624 touches in three seasons as the Steelers starting running back, and all three fumbles came in the fourth quarter and led to a tie or loss -- Week 1 against the Browns in 2018, which ended in a 21-21 tie, Week 12 against the Broncos in 2018, a 24-17 loss and Week 3 in 2019 against the 49ers, a 24-20 loss.
Harris, who is 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, is the complete package at the running back position, as he's explosive as a runner and could do damage in the passing game, along with being solid in pass protection. He's also efficient at protecting the ball, which is a crucial trait to have as a running back.