Naaje Harris future star?

In recent memory it has become common place for very few, if any running backs to get drafted in the first round. Last year it was just Clyde Edwards-Hellaire who helped lead his team to the Super Bowl. This season there were two, Naaje Harris, and Travis Etienne, both of these guys were drafted for very different reasons and call me an optimist but I believe both will find success at the NFL level in different ways. Naaje Harris is more of a bell cow touch the ball 20+ times per game type back, where as Etienne is a new age dual threat back who has worked out as a wide receiver at times as well as a runner. In today's NFL it's not often many bell cow style backs get drafted in the first round due to the chew them up and spit them out mentality of the NFL at that position but Harris is different. 

Anytime your name is in company with Derrick Henry, and Mark Ingram as a running back you're immediately going to get more respect. These are two of the more recent success stories of drafting these style backs in the first round. Derrick Henry is widely regarded as the best back in the league right now, while Ingram has rushed for over 1,000 yards 3 times with two teams and has scored over 70 times in his 10 year career. Why do I mention these two guys specifically? Other than their first round pedigree these three backs are all products of Nick Saban's Alabama offense. 

In college it was clear that Ingram, and Henry would wind up being first round picks after stellar college careers, but Harris flew under the radar. It might shock you when I say Harris's career was actually better than both his predecessors. Derrick Henry left college as Alabama's all time leading rusher, Harris beat his record by over 300 yards. Former Roll Tide player Shaun Alexander's record of 50 tds was smashed when Harris tied Tim Tebow's SEC record with 57 touchdowns. Harris not surprisingly also beat the previous record for career rushing tds held by Ingram and Henry at 42, by logging 46 tds. He had a 5 rushing td game tying the single game school record, and beat the record for most points scored in a season with 180. With that resume you can see why Pittsburgh was the team that drafted him in the first round to lead their run first offense and to aid their aging quarterback that is showing his mortality quickly as he had a dramatic drop off late last season. 

Harris stands 6'2 229 lbs, and comes into the NFL into an offense that should seem somewhat similar to what he is used to as the Steelers love to lean on their running backs early and often. NFL coaches will often say the biggest thing preventing rookie runners from seeing the field as a three down back is their ability to block. However that is actually a strength for Harris, he is also a capable receiver which means unless he has issues picking up the offense he likely won't be pulled off the field much. Having caught 70 passes for over 700 yards and 11 tds the past 2 seasons I have a feeling the offense will resolve around Harris even as a rookie, we will also undoubtedly see more Anthony McFarland at times as well maybe even as a slot receiver, but the days of relying heavily on the passing game and Big Ben are long gone, and the Steelers are hoping that Harris is the man for them to lean on going forward.