Kevin Colbert's acquisitions in free agency have made the Steelers' plans to take a running back in the early rounds clear.
Despite the popular take that running backs as a position don't bring much first round value, the players who can change the team's backfield the best might not be available when the team's second round pick at 55th overall comes around. That's why it's important to take a closer look at the positives and negatives of this year's top running backs and how they can best fit into the Steelers' offensive plans.
Colbert and Mike Tomlin certainly tried to find their future running back without investing heavily in the NFL Draft the past four years. James Conner was a third round compensatory pick in 2017, Jaylen Samuels a fifth round pick in 2018, Benny Snell a fourth round pick in 2019, and Anthony McFarland was a fourth round pick in 2020.
But none of them have stuck as primary options for Ben Roethlisberger out of the backfield. And that's no shot on the Steelers' scouting, as every team takes shots at running backs in those rounds and misses often.
That's why after all those attempts, it's time for the Steelers to get serious and invest an early pick on the position that will both balance the offense at the end of Roethlisberger's career, and give the potential for a strong rushing offense to lead the way for whoever becomes the heir at quarterback.
Najee Harris, Alabama, 6-1, 230
Harris has earned the respect of being the top running back of his class. After a strong 2019, Harris doubled his rushing touchdown total to 26 in 2020, leading the NCAA. He's put together a package of skills that make him the biggest nightmare to tackle one-on-one of this year's running backs.
What makes him extra dangerous is not just his physical advantages of being able to run through defenders, cut away from, or leap over them, but also his unparalleled vision. Even when Alabama's offensive line didn't have their best moments, Harris was a threat to make a big play.
That's where the Steelers could use a lot of help as they reconstruct their offensive line in the coming years. This run from the Rose Bowl was one of the highlights that everyone thinks of when they want to see the best Harris as to offer.
Notre Dame had done a solid job of pushing Alabama's line backwards to force Harris to run laterally to the sideline in hopes to keep him from building steam. But Harris kept his eyes upfield, knowing when he would first meet a defender. That helped him clear 6-foot cornerback Nick McCloud in space and accelerate for a big run:
That athleticism combined with his vision make him frustrating to defend.
Harris looks extremely comfortable finding a seam or hole that's not immediately obvious when he gets the ball. That was a factor that made Le'Veon Bell one of the NFL's most dangerous running backs during his time with the Steelers. Similarly to Bell, Harris had the ability to use quick footwork to keep a play alive while assessing the defense and finding his lane for a solid gain.
Also similarly to Bell, Harris has developed skills to contribute catching the ball. He's even occasionally lined up outside the numbers as a legitimate option for Mac Jones to find for big gains, and even touchdowns, which Harris has caught 11 of over the last two seasons.
Harris isn't just a running back who runs to the flat and creates when there's space, as he creates mismatches with his quick feet and ability to stop, cut and go in tight spaces. Watch how this angle route completely broke down his man in the SEC Championship. You can see the man-to-man assignment play out, and how he forced his man to give up inside leverage for the route to break open:
That's where Harris has completed his game the past two years.
Today's NFL needs running backs who can create as receivers out of the backfield to be a complete package. The one thing Harris doesn't have is home run speed. He can create and exploit the holes for big gains inside the tackle box, but once he's off to the races he doesn't have the speed turn 80-yard runs. But when you take into consideration how he brings every other need as a running back, that's a sacrifice the Steelers should be willing to take, regardless of him only doing on-field drills at his pro day.
Travis Etienne, Clemson, 5-10, 215
Even though Etienne's 914 rushing yards in 2020 were a big dip from his 1614 in 2019 and 1658 in 2018, there's no doubt he's still the speedy and shifty back that's a threat to score from anywhere on the field. He did benefit playing next to Trevor Lawrence, but there's no doubt he creates several of his own opportunities on the field.
Where Etienne falls behind Harris is his lack of consistent production working in tight spaces between the tackles. Etienne hasn't shown the same patience Harris has displayed and sometimes rushes one-on-one opportunities in the hole or doesn't find the extra crease that was developing where Harris might have.
But that doesn't mean he's not able to create in traffic. Etienne can often make up for his lack of patience with nonstop footwork that keep him going through contact. Where Harris' footwork allow him to start and stop quickly to adjust as he sees different holes open, Etienne's feet constantly chop even during contact and let him get to full speed after a missed tackle.
Watch how that worked out with this touchdown against Virginia where he broke out of one tackle, but kept his momentum going to spin out of a second before he finished the play:
One evaluation I see with Etienne that I disagree with is the idea he can't deal with contact around the line.
He's certainly not the bruiser that Harris can be, but he's also not soft when approaching contact. He demonstrated his explosiveness with a 128-inch broad jump at his pro day, the best of any running back in this class.
But where Etienne shines the brightest is when he shows off his speed. He ran a 4.45 time in the 40-yard dash at his pro day, the third fastest of running backs this year. That speed as been the bane of ACC defenses for all three of his years starting for Clemson, as it often let him outrun defenders who even had the position to stop him.
Watch how Harris' speed not only beats the unblocked defensive end on this touchdown in the ACC Championship, but it also split two Notre Dame defenders at the second level before he completed the run for a touchdown:
That's the biggest asset that Etienne brings which Harris cannot.
You can't teach speed, and combining it with Etienne's ability to create and make defenders miss in space makes it that much more deadly. Whether he fits what the Steelers want to do on offense isn't a question, because they can find a way to make use of an athlete like that in Matt Canada's offense.
Not only would he bring speed as a threat to break long runs, but Etienne would be the actual running back Roethlisberger should target on a deep wheel route like when he tried to find McFarland on a fourth down wheel route against Washington.
Javonte Williams, North Carolina, 5-foot-9, 212 lbs.
The last for-sure pick the Steelers could make at running back is the more physical of North Carolina's running backs in Williams. Though shorter and weighing less than Etienne, Williams' style of running bowls over defenders and plays closer to Harris' style of running back.
Like Harris and Etienne, Williams is a back who can consistently make the first defender miss. He can run through contact, bounce off defenders, and use quick cutbacks to keep plays alive. He's shown the ability to attack a hole while setting up a defender at another level.
Williams' size looks like he shouldn't be a powerful back the way Harris is, but he's had several plays where he fits the part of a physical back who can create on his own. Here's a play where he lined up with a defender in space, easily dealt him, then quickly re-established himself to burst past two more defenders for the score:
Williams' burst and ability to stop and go make him a true asset.
His 4.09 seconds in the shuttle was the second-best of this running back class, while his 123-inch broad jump ranked sixth, and his 22 bench press reps ranked fifth. He also lacks the home run speed that Etienne boasts, but he still can take long runs for scores. His 4.55 time in the 40-yard dash won't scare away teams who see his consistent tape as a tough runner whose vision might be the closest to Harris of this class.
Best fit
Harris lines up as both the top running back and the closest prospect that identifies to what the Steelers usually look for at the position. But Etienne's speed and open space skills would make for an interesting option to change the dynamics of the offense more to fit how the Saints use Alvin Kamara.
The 24th pick should give the Steelers a good shot to have the first running back off the board. The team most likely to spoil that opportunity looks like the Dolphins with the 18th overall pick. Unless they trade back farther, that will be their second pick of the first round as they also have the sixth overall pick.
That's where Harris could go, leaving the Steelers with either Etienne or Williams. Williams does have a chance to make it to the second round, as he did when I picked him in my mock draft last week. But the Steelers might not want to gamble on missing out on getting their starter, even if it means selecting Williams at 24.
Players like Trey Sermon, Michael Carter, or Kenneth Gainwell all could work out as a rookie starter. But the time for drafting running backs who could fit that role are over. It's time for the Steelers to find the running back who will fit what they need.
Barring the surprising drop of top talent like Micah Parsons or Caleb Farley falling to the Steelers at 24, their best bet would be doing anything they could to make sure one of Harris, Etienne or Williams is at Saint Vincent College for training camp in August. If Harris s gone, Etienne should still be the second option regardless of Williams projecting as more of a typical Steelers running back.
But even if it is Williams being the pick, it would be a win for Colbert.
