Prospect Play: Najee Harris

Ray Garvin Posted On November 20, 2019

The Prospect Play series is a quick film session that highlights specific traits and attributes from potential soon-to-be NFL Stars. Anybody can post the highlight reel plays; come take a look at some of the lesser-known plays that make these college prospects devy and dynasty talents.

Najee Harris, RB Alabama

Harris played his prep ball in California and was considered an elite high school prospect at the running back position. The Army All-American was the second-ranked overall player in the 2017 class and the top-ranked high school running back in the nation. Expectations were set sky-high for him as an early enrollee at the University of Alabama for the 2017 season. He saw limited work as a true freshman playing in an offense that featured Jalen Hurts, Damien Harris, Bo Scarbrough and Josh Jacobs as runners.

The 2018 season was a step in the right direction for Harris as he finished second on the team in rushing yards while coming in third in carries. However, he saw very limited work in the receiving game – he had only four receptions on the season – which left some wondering if he projected as more of a two-down grinder than an all-around back at the next level.

In 2019, however, he has exploded as a true three-down back who looks more than capable in every facet of the position. The November 9 game vs LSU was one where he displayed the full array of running back skills. Check out his stats and a breakdown of his performance in that game below.

The Stats

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Statistics from sports-reference.com.

Prospect Film vs LSU 2019

https://youtu.be/7AkHGxPdzw0

Dynasty Outlook

Harris looks like an NFL running back. He possesses ideal size for the position and has displayed above-average burst and speed for a man who stands at 6’2”, 230 pounds. He is producing in one of the most competitive and NFL talent-rich conferences in college football, the SEC. He has demonstrated the pass-catching acumen that will allow him to remain on the field for all three downs and be utilized in the passing game as a true weapon.

While nobody will mistake him some of the elite pass-catching running backs in the NFL, his improvement and development in that area will only improve his draft stock. He’s currently my seventh-ranked devy running back, but there’s a chance he moves into the top five before it’s all said and done. I would be very comfortable selecting him towards the back of the first round of dynasty rookie draft in single-quarterback leagues and no later than the early second should he declare for the 2020 NFL Draft. Look for more Prospect Play video breakdowns coming soon!