RADIO
Najee Harris 2023 Outlook: Can High Volume Mask Inefficient Rushing?
2 years agoAfter finishing as a top-5 RB in his rookie season, Najee Harris barely cracked the top-15 in 2022. His rush attempts fell from 307 to 272 and his targets fell from 94 to just 53. The problem with the decreased volume is that Harris is reliant on the myriad of touches for his productivity. Through two seasons, he's averaging just 3.87 yards per carry. Additionally, his role in the receiving game decreased dramatically in his 2nd NFL season. He went from being first amongst all running backs with 24.9 routes run per game and fifth in target share (14.5%) to 14th in routes run per game (14.6) and 21st in target share (9.7%). In 2021, Najee saw 86% of the RB targets, whereas in 2022, he saw just 56% of the RB targets. Jaylen Warren was a big part of that decrease. Warren had a snap share of 31.6%, whereas, in 2021, no other Steeler RB eclipsed an 8.8% snap share (Benny Snell Jr.). Because of his lack of efficiency, Harris will need to see increased looks in the passing game if he wishes to be anything more than a high-end RB2 in 2023.
