Steelers 2-a-days: Can Najee Harris join NFL elite? Darius Hagans another undrafted rookie RB

Editor’s note: From the end of minicamp through the day the team reports to training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2023 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, between June 16 and July 26. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

RB DARIUS HAGANS

Experience: Rookie

Contract status: $750,000 cap hit if he makes the team in 2023

2023 outlook: Players like to tell how Steelers coach Mike Tomlin repeatedly will say he doesn’t care how they got to camp, that what they show once they get there will be all that matters in regards to their chances to make the regular-season roster. Well, Hagans is among the longest shots to even make it to an NFL camp roster. He came from Division II, was cut a month into his pro career and didn’t join the Steelers until their final week of organized team activities.

Hagans (6-0, 210 pounds) attended the HBCU combine and reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds and had a 36.5-inch vertical — each would have landed him smack in the middle of running backs who performed those drills at the NFL combine that features primarily Division I talent. Hagans had 1,012 rushing yards on a 5.4-yard average in 10 games last season. He also caught 17 passes and returned four kickoffs.

Hagans and fellow late-signed undrafted, small-school rookie Alfonzo Graham will need to show an ability to contribute on special teams if they have a chance to stick on a team that has Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren as running backs on the team for their offense. Holdover Anthony McFarland Jr. and returning practice-squader Jason Huntley are other running backs on the 90-man camp roster.

Najee Harris would like to see established NFL running backs like Saquon Barkley get what they deserve financially.https://t.co/MAVYDYG84v

— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) June 13, 2023

RB NAJEE HARRIS

Experience: 3^rd season

Contract status: $3.56 million cap hit in 2023, signed through 2024 with a club option for 2025

2023 outlook: Harris followed up a high-volume rookie season with a 2022 in which he regressed statistically. Harris’ rushing yards dropped from 1,200 to 1,034, his per-carry average from 3.9 to 3.8, his receptions from 74 to 41 and his scrimmage yards from 1,667 to 1,263. Harris dropped in Pro Football Focus’ graces from 16^th to 21^st among NFL running backs

Among the 42 NFL backs who had the most carries in 2022, Harris was 29^th in footballoutsiders.com’s all-encompassing metric. He was 44^th among 48 RB’s measured by NFL Next Gen Stats’s Rushing Yards Over Expected per attempt.

All in all, it’s fair to say Harris has not performed to the level of his draft status: first-round pick (No. 24 overall) in 2021. But it’s also fair to say he’s stabilized a position that was in flux since Le’Veon Bell sat out the 2018 season and had James Conner show flashes but miss plenty of time because of injury.

But can Harris ever join the NFL’s elite at his position? In multiple lists of the league’s top running backs compiled by national outlets, Harris has been repeatedly left out of the top 10. It’s difficult to make an argument he belongs in that group. As Harris enters Year 3, this would be the time for him to show he’s indeed in the discussion as one of the NFL’s best at his position. If it doesn’t happen now, it might not ever happen. But if Harris can stay as durable, reliable, sure-handed and adept at pass protection as he has shown in his career thus far, he’s good enough for the Steelers to win with.

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