Former Jacksonville Jaguars standout and NFL analyst Maurice Jones-Drew expressed his “TOP 32 RUNNING BACKS” on Thursday, placing Pittsburgh Steelers 2nd year RB Najee Harris at number nine(9) on his list.
Harris, the 6 foot 1 inch..232 lb. back out of Alabama had a very impressive rookie season, rushing for 1,200 yards with 7 touchdowns. Tacking on an additional 74 receptions for 467 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns, all of this behind a makeshift offensive line.
With a player not named Ben Roethlisberger under center on a permanent basis for the first time since 2003, the Steelers’ offense is primed to go through No. 22. He had an outstanding rookie campaign with zero fumbles on 381 regular-season touches. He’s durable and poised to lead the unit in the run game while also providing a big boost in the pass game.
Maurice Jones-Drew via NFL.com
With the addition of veteran centers James Daniels and Mason Cole, the Steelers have definitely improved in the offensive line category and give Coach Mike Tomlin a lot more “wiggle room” than he had last season.
Not to mention the addition of offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. With that I see Harris surpassing his 1,200 yard rookie debut, especially since the 1st string quarterback position is still up for grabs.
RUNNING BACKS ABOVE NAJEE:
8) Austin Eckler (Los Angeles Chargers)*
7) Joe Mixon (Cincinnati Bengals)
6) Alvin Kamara (New Orleans Saints)
5) Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboys)*
4) Dalvin Cook (Minnesota Vikings)
3) Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns)
2) Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts)
1) Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans)
* = Ranking I do not agree with
STEELERS WORLD 1 