Finding Broncos: Najee Harris | RB | Alabama

Finding Broncos scouts the 2021 NFL draft class to find the best Mile High fits. What's the scoop on Najee Harris and how would he fit in Denver?

Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Alabama running back Najee Harris, a player the Denver Broncos have been rumored to like. 

Measurables

• Height: 6-foot-2

• Weight: 230 pounds

Stats

Sports-Reference.com

Pros

• Solid quickness and great versatility for a bigger back
• Showed growth in multiple areas from 2019-20, especially with his reads and getting extra yards
• Brings it as a receiver and as a blocker to add that third-down value
• Stopped always looking to bang with defenders as a runner and started doing better at finding the open running lanes
• No concern with ball security as he rarely puts it on the ground
• Reliable to pick up four yards per carry
• Doesn’t shy away from contact but does well at protecting himself and not always taking unnecessary hits
• Can be the bell-cow back for a team 
• Has never suffered a major injury to create concern
• Footwork is excellent and he does a good job keeping his legs churning
• Between the tackles, he keeps a really good balance and can be the pinball runner bouncing off contact
• Isn’t limited to a between-the-tackles runner and can take it outside as well

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Cons

• Isn’t the most explosive of runners, lacks extra gears to consistently break off big runs
• Benefitted from one of the best run-blocking O-lines in the NFL
• Can he create for himself? 
• Running style is very upright, leaving legs exposed, which can be dangerous for bigger RBs in the NFL
• Has some elusiveness to his game but it isn’t his forte 
• Running discipline will need work for the NFL
• Was able to get away with early cuts and not following the play-path quite a bit at Alabama but it will be punished more in the NFL.

Overview

Harris' upright running style needs to be fixed. He needs to be coached to run with a lower center of gravity, which would help protect himself (especially his legs) a little more. His versatility to be a receiver out of the backfield, be a pass-blocker, and be a bell-cow back really raises his value for NFL teams.

Fit with Broncos

If you want a tone-setter running back for a smash-you-in-the-mouth physical running game, Harris is your guy. That isn’t all he can do, though, which gives teams a chance to catch defenses off-guard by changing it up without changing the running back. 

Grade: Round 1

Where he Goes: Round 2

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