All signs are pointing to the Pittsburgh Steelers signing a running back early in the 2021 NFL draft. Will they take one with the No. 24 pick? If Najee Harris or Travis Etienne falls to the Steeler's 24th pick I would absolutely draft one of them. The problem is I think the Dolphins are going to probably take a running back before the Pittsburgh Steelers and it could be Najee Harris. Both the Steelers and Dolphins have shown the most interest in Najee Harris. I feel the Steelers could have a better shot at drafting Travis Etienne than Najee Harris at this point.
The reason why I feel the Dolphins could select a running back with their 18th pick is that they own two first-rounders this year. They own the 6th and 18th pick of the 2021 NFL draft. There is no way they will draft a running back with the 6th pick, but the 18th pick is the one that scares me the most in regards to Najee Harris.
Jason La Canfora on the Dolphins and Najee Harris: "The Dolphins picks a year ago left some scratching their heads. So while I think taking RB Najee Harris at No. 18 seems a little rich, I hear a strong buzz about him being very much in contention for that selection."
Although the Dolphins are showing heavy interest in Najee Harris it seems Bleacher Report feels they will pass on Harris and therefore the Steelers will have all 3 premier running backs to choose from with their No. 24 first-round pick.
Bleacher Report on the Dolphins and Najee Harris: "The Dolphins may simply be feigning interest in Harris in hopes that a team looking to land him will trade up. Alternatively, the Dolphins could be looking to move down to grab Harris at the bottom of the first round."
No matter what happens I believe the Steelers will have a premier running back fall to them in the 2021 NFL draft in the first round, but I believe if they do not pull the trigger on one in the first round they will not be there late in the Second Round. That is one of the main reasons why I feel the Steelers should go against the grain and pick a running back in the first round of the NFL draft.
Bleacher Report on the Dolphins selecting Najee Harris in the First Round: "Miami probably does want to add a running back in the draft, as the current committee backfield of Myles Gaskin, Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed isn't overly impressive. In that regard, considering Harris makes sense, but it feels unlikely that the Dolphins would pull the trigger at No. 18. Harris is a fine running back prospect, but the middle of Round 1 is high for the position—especially if five of the first 17 picks are quarterbacks."
Many Steeler fans need to prepare for Najee Harris to potentially come off of the board before the Steelers draft. Trading up doesn't make sense for the Steelers as they only have 8 draft picks this year going into the draft and that would take away one of their picks. The Steelers will need as much draft capital as they can get especially in the 2021 draft because they lost some key defensive players in the 2021 offseason so this draft picks will offset some of those key losses.
With that being said I think the Steelers will have a better shot at drafting Travis Etienne than Najee Harris. Although the 2021 NFL draft can be very unpredictable I feel Etienne has a better shot to land in Pittsburgh than Harris unless the Dolphins decide to pass up on a running back altogether. What the Dolphins do with their 18th pick in the 2021 NFL draft will set up who lands with the Pittsburgh Steelers at 24. If the Steelers want a running back early.
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