Najee Harris is off to a hot start with the 2021 NFL Draft next
Alabama running back Najee Harris opted not to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft and to return to Tuscaloosa for this senior season. Thus far, this has turned out to be a great decision as Harris is off to a blazing start for the Crimson Tide this season through three weeks. He put together a stellar performance in the Alabama victory over Ole Miss, and he will look to continue his success with the 2021 NFL Draft on the horizon.
As the Crimson Tide took down the Rebels by a score of 63-48, they racked up over 700 yards of total offense on the day. A massive contributor on the day, Harris lit up the scoreboard as he rushed for 206 yards and five touchdowns on 23 carries in the Alabama backfield; he added three catches for 42 yards as well, proving to be a versatile weapon.
Looking at his career at Alabama
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Entering what is presumed to be his last year at the University of Alabama, the 6-foot-2 and 230 pound running back has had quite the successful career in Tuscaloosa. Coming off his first career 1,000 yard rushing season, Harris rushed for over 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019, adding another 304 yards and seven touchdowns on 27 catches out of the backfield as well.
Sharing a backfield with the likes of Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris, and Kenyan Drake, Harris has tallied a career total of over 2,500 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns while at Alabama. He has racked up 357 yards and 10 touchdowns through three games in 2020 thus far, adding another seven catches for 76 yards as a receiver out of the backfield as well.
As Harris is stacking up numbers, and with the 2021 NFL Draft up next, where does Harris win and have room to improve? What is the prospective outlook for Harris when the main event in April rolls around? We explore this here in this scouting report on Alabama’s star running back.
Where Najee Harris Wins
Harris possesses a world of talent in the Crimson Tide backfield, displaying a great deal of translatable traits to the NFL. From start to finish, Harris is a powerful runner who puts a great deal of versatility on tape as he goes to work in the Alabama backfield.
The patience Harris puts on tape is immaculate as he bides his time, waiting for holes to develop in front of him. Matching his patience, Harris’ eyes are active as he scans for running lanes, effectively and efficiently reading the hips of the blockers in front of him. His cutback vision is impressive as well, as he can plant his foot on a dime and attack any crease he sees.
Not only is Harris explosive and strong through the hole, displaying excellent contact balance and burst, but he is a talented open field runner as well. For being as big as he is, Harris plays with feather-like feet, able to make defenders miss or put his athleticism on display with a hurdle. He packs a punch, but plays light; this duo of traits makes him a talented collegiate runner, and this will translate nicely to the next level. In fact, it looks like Harris may have slimmed down and toned up this offseason as well.
Not only are his feet light, but his hands are soft. Harris is an impressive receiver out of the backfield, and even shows the ability to make incredible adjustments on the ball down the field and around the boundary. He looks like a seasoned receiver when his number is called upon in the passing game, making him all the more appealing to NFL teams.
Where, however, does Harris have room to improve?
Where he has room to improve
While Harris is an incredibly talented running back, there are a few areas for him to improve in 2020 to move the needle in his favor in the race for RB1. He only has a handful of games to put more meaningful reps on tape in order to persuade NFL scouts and general managers he is worth the investment of a high draft asset.
One glaring hole in Harris’ game is in the passing attack for the Crimson Tide. While he is a great receiver out of the backfield, Harris has room to improve in his ability to pass protect when asked to stay in for some added protection. For a man as big as Harris, he often opts towards the “speed bump” technique in order to slow down the incoming pass rush. He does not play with a high level of physicality in this element of his game.
The only other question that must be asked of Harris: can he be a home run hitter? It is not of the utmost importance because Harris is a solid and reliable force in the backfield, but his big play ability and long speed is not overly apparent on his tape during his time in the Crimson Tide backfield. This is not to say he does not possess the ability to breakaway from defenses in the open field, but it is not something that stands out when evaluating Harris.
Other than these few holes, it would feel rather nitpicky to tear apart Harris’ overall consistent and reliable game. How will this translate towards his 2021 NFL Draft stock, however? We take a look there next.
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.