2021 NFL Draft: Najee Harris a powerful runner on light feet

What is his 2021 NFL Draft outlook?

There is little doubt in this writer’s mind that Harris is not only one of the top running backs in the 2021 NFL Draft class, but also one of the top players overall as well. He will be in a race with Clemson’s Travis Etienne, Memphis’ swiss army knife in Kenneth Gainwell, and Penn State’s Journey Brown for the title of RB1, but Harris has the talent to be the first running back off the board.

This writer has given Harris a first round grade, tagging him as one of the top players in this draft class. However, his 2021 NFL Draft outlook gets a little murky given the position he plays. Over the past two seasons, only two running backs has been taken in the first round (Josh Jacobs in 2019 and Clyde Edwards-Helaire this past April), and overall the running back position is extremely devalued in today’s NFL.

What do others have to say about Harris? For that we turn to The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid to bring his insight on the Alabama running back:

"“Tenacious and high energy runner. Even if undisciplined, he will do whatever it takes to break free of tackles. Squirms until the whistle is blown and forces defenders to bring him down until the whistle is blown. Churns his feet and is able to grind out hidden yardage even when on his way down to the turf.”"

Regardless of this, however, we will get another run on running backs to start day-two of the draft (just as we did this past April), and it would be a shock if Harris was not one of the first three off the board at the very least. However, just as Edwards-Helaire was, Harris could see his name a called at the back end of the first round as well.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. A talented running back, Harris finds himself clearly in the race for the Heisman Trophy. As a result, he has his named being talked about near the top of the 2021 NFL Draft crop of running backs.