The Las Vegas Raiders rely on Ashton Jeanty , and former Steeler Najee Harris could be a good backup option.
The Las Vegas Raiders are thin at running back, so they’ve quietly been looking at depth options as draft day approaches. One of those options is running back Najee Harris, who visited the Raiders last Friday, according to a report from Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk via the NFL’s transaction report.
Harris is a bit of a long shot right now, and he would also represent an injury gamble as he’s working his way back from an Achilles tear. He sustained the injury last Sept. 21 while playing for the Los Angeles Chargers against the Denver Broncos, and according to Williams he’s also had a visit with the Seattle Seahawks as he looks to find a new home.
Harris does have the kind of history you’d look for in a backup running back, however. He was reliable during his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the former first-round pick rushed for 4,312 yards with 28 touchdowns, and he also caught a total of 183 passes for 1,174 yards and another half-dozen touchdowns.
His recent history has been tumultuous, though. Harris was hoping to get paid by the Steelers, but he’s never shown the kind of breakaway ability to generate chunk plays that you’d expect from a first-round selection. Harris landed on the non-football injury list last summer after a fireworks accident, and he missed all of training camp with the Chargers but returned for the beginning of the season.
A quick look at the Raiders depth chart reveals where he’d fit. The choices behind running back Ashton Jeanty right now include Dylan Laube and Chris Collier, and new coach Klint Kubiak has commented about the need to add viable depth behind Jeanty.
Harris certainly has the pedigree to fill part of that role if he’s healthy. He was solid in Pittsburgh as a between-the-tackles runner, although his yards-per-carry average was consistently low. Harris also provides plenty of ball security as his fumbles were few and far between, although he’s not as sure-handed as a receiver these days.
The Raiders will probably dip into this year’s thin running-back pool on draft day in the later rounds, but they could bring Harris in to compete and possibly mentor Jeanty as well. Kubiak got a lot out of Kenneth Walker III as offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, so he knows how to get production out of larger backs like Harris who don't necessarily have breakaway speed. We won’t know if Harris represents a viable add until after the draft, but he’s definitely a name worth watching.