Phin Phanatic
FanSided

2021 Draft Profile: Does Najee Harris fall into Miami’s draft plans?

By Nick Belotto

Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris (22) celebrates after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Najee Harris (22) celebrates after beating the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Miami Dolphins need to fix the offense this offseason. While the running back spot is not the biggest area of need, there are a lot of questions as to whether or not Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and the rest of the running back room can get the job done consistently. They all played admirably last season, specifically Gaskin, but they need an extra player to help turn this unit into an elite one, Najee Harris perhaps?

Najee Harris could be the answer to that question and, if chosen, could provide a dangerous 1-2 punch in Miami’s backfield.

Najee Harris, RB Alabama

2020 Stats: 1466 rushing yards, 26 TDs, 43 receptions, 425 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs (stats courtesy of ESPN.com)

Chances of Dolphins drafting him: 85%

Najee Harris is a big dude.

Sitting at 6′ 2” and 230 pounds, Harris is a bit of a bulldozer of a human, who has incredible speed for his size. Harris has the talent to outrun his defenders and plow through them on the 1 yard line. Out of the backfield, Harris is a dangerous receiver who can make receivers miss with incredible moves that make defenders miss. If those moves don’t make the defenders whiff, he could easily knock them down with his size and a solid stiff arm.

Harris is one of those players that just consistently made plays all over the field and could be a game changing back for the Dolphins, or for any team that drafts him. Oh, and his athleticism is off the charts, evident from his jumping over a defender in the National Football Playoff game against LSU.

The Dolphins could benefit from a guy like Harris in their backfield. As I already alluded to earlier, he could be a wonderful complimentary piece to Myles Gaskin, who is more of a shiftier running back. He could also take some of the pressure off of Tua Tagovailoa and help the offense develop a strong play-action passing game, which could help Tagovailoa progress as a passer. He’s also a great blocker, which is an important aspect to his game.

Next. Should the Miami Dolphins take Ja'Marr Chase instead of DeVonta Smith?. dark

The only reason I put the chances of Miami drafting him at 85% is that there is a chance that Brian Flores and the Dolphins choose to wait on a running back until later in day two. If they do, they could go with a guy like Michael Carter out of North Carolina, who, according to 247sports, apparently impressed during the Senior Bowl.

While I like Carter as an option in the backfield, I’d love to see Miami take Harris to give Tagovailoa a more than reliable weapon to take some of the pressure off of him.

Home/Dolphins News