Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of 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 2022 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly-alphabetical order, two per day, between June 11 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

RB NAJEE HARRIS

Experience: 2nd season

Contract status: $2.965 million cap hit in 2022, signed through 2024 with a team option for 2025

2022 outlook: While too much was made — most of it, by Harris — about Harris’ weight during organized team activities and minicamp, the truth is that the talk was initiated by the appearance of the 242-pound running back. Already big by NFL running back standards, Harris’ lower-body appears more chiseled and built for Year 2.

Though some around the league argue against taking a running back in the first round, Harris was everything the Steelers asked him to be as a rookie. Carrying by far the heaviest workload of any running back in the league and playing behind a porous offensive line in an offense that largely lacked big-play prowess, Harris finished fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,200), tied for 14th in touchdowns (10), first in touches (381) and fourth in yards from scrimmage (1,667).

What was missing was “splash plays,” as evidenced by a mediocre 3.9 per-carry yardage average and that just six of his 307 carries went for at least 20 yards (only one went for more than 23 yards, none more than 37 yards. If Harris can make some long runs and stay healthy, with an improved offensive line and (perhaps) better quarterback play combined with the Steelers’ heavy reliance on him, he could rack up enough yardage this season to improve that total.

Columnist @MarkMaddenX: Najee Harris is anything but fat. He’s just a whole lot of man. He should embrace said description and join the pantheon of great fat athletes. https://t.co/viy9oaNuXc

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) June 16, 2022

OL JOE HAEG

Experience: 7th season

Contract status: $3.1 million cap hit in 2022, after which he’s scheduled for unrestricted free agency

2022 outlook: Haeg was everything the Steelers wanted and needed him to be last season in the first year of a two-year, $4.6 million contract they signed him to. He appeared in 13 games (including playoffs), played in nine on offense and started two. Among those starts were one each at left and right tackle — but he also made appearances at left and right guard, too. Haeg, now 29, is a versatile and valuable “swing” backup lineman who has 40 starts and 79 NFL regular-season games on his résumé, including filling the same role for the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2020 season.

Haeg was good enough that it was a no-brainer for the Steelers to pay him a $500,000 roster bonus this spring. Barring a regression or some other surprise, he again is likely to serve as the top backup tackle — and other utility roles — for the Steelers offensive line in 2022.

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