Going into the 2021 NFL draft just about every mock draft had the Steelers taking Najee Harris in the first round of the draft. That came true on the first night of the draft, but it could have been a disaster if Miami or the Jets would have taken him before the Steelers could get to pick him. The Steelers front office seemed to know Harris would fall to their team so instead of moving up in the draft they just sat there and waited for him to fall into the their lap. Right, when Miami decided to pass on Najee with the 18th pick I knew he was going to become a Pittsburgh Steeler.
Although many of the draft analysts predicted Najee Harris would end up in Pittsburgh he was not as confident as the football analysts. Najee says he was getting really nervous heading into the NFL draft because he is a running back going into the NFL and he knows how the league can devalue running backs. Harris is extremely happy with how things played out in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft by landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When Harris was drafted he said it almost seemed fake, like it was too good to be true going to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harris said Pittsburgh is a perfect spot for him and the history of the Steelers running backs (Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, Le'Veon Bell) were very bruising downhill running backs and he feels he can bring the same tenacity as they did to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Harris will walk into Pittsburgh as the Steelers number one running back who will help pick up yards in a big way. The Steelers running backs only averaged 3.6 yards per carry and if the Steelers stick with the plan of beefing up their offensive line going forward in the draft I would expect those numbers to skyrocket with Najee Harris. He wanted to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft and Harris got his wish on Thursday Night.
Najee Harris on being picked in the first round: "You could say it shows the value of the work, but the work I put in doesn't stop. To get there, yes. Finished product, no."