For sure, Sanders is a good RB.
But do you know who has more rushing yards at Alabama than Derrick Henry(3591)? Najee Harris 3843 yards rushing.
Who has more rushing TD's than Henry (42TD)?........................................... ........ Najee Harris 46 TD.
Do you know who had a better avg yards from scrimmage than Henry (6.3 yds/play)? Najee Harris 6.4 yds /play.
I am not saying that Najee Harris is Derrick Henry, they are different type RB's as I think Harris has better cut ability, receiving and quickness. He does have better production at Alabama than any other RB of recent memory.
I think passing on a potential all pro RB like Harris, because you are satisfied with Miles Sanders, is like passing on Dan Marino, because you are satisfied with Cliff Stoudt in 1983.
Don't get me wrong. I love Harris.
What I'm saying is that they are weaker at every other offensive position than they are at RB.
I also think Bama's OL and offense in general was more dominant this year than any Alabama offense I have ever seen. Harris definitely benefited from that.
Lastly.....comparing Sanders to Cliff Stoudt is way out of line. That's hitting below the belt.
Sanders averages 4.9 yards per attempt behind that bad OL, and he's a good receiver as well. He had 1327 yards from scrimmage starting 11 games his rookie season.
That would be a hell of a tandem!
I get what you are saying. My belief is that you take the BPA at a position of need. RB is a need, O line is a need. IMO, Harris may be more impactful as an NFL runner than Nick Chubb or Derrick Henry, while whatever O lineman they might draft instead in the 1st round may be as good as Lane Johnson, because the top 2 or 3 OT's will be off the board by then.
Reminds me of the Steelers drafting Troy Edwards, because they needed a WR and the other top WR's were already off the board. But they also needed O line IMO and they passed on John Tait, who instead went on to have a 10 year long career as a LT for the Bears and Chiefs. Seemingly they thought they had a bigger need at WR than OT. Steelers reached for Troy Edwards and instead had Anthony Brown at RT that year and had to go get Wayne Gandy in FA.
So I think you take the best player, rather than the bigger need in the draft and risk reaching for the lesser football player. And yes, the Cliff Stoudt comparison was hitting below the punching machine and breaking your arm on a post. I will admit that I went there for a bit of emphasis.
Agreed. The 1st round is always for BPA. This is where you build a team around the best players possible. Although this draft is DEEP with OTs, only a couple really stand out from the crowd. And the 'best of the crop' sat out a whole season. Once Najee Harris comes off the board, the 'need' for a 1st round RB kinda goes away too. There are players from nearly every position group that could be in play in the 1st depending on how the board falls. I have done about 20 mocks on the different SIMs and I have even had Trey Lance fall to pick 24 once.
Honestly, I think it wont happen. Harris should not get past the Dolphins (who coached him at Senior Bowl) at #18. And...I think the Jets select Etienne at #23. So the Steelers should look at another position at #24.
But stranger things have happened in the draft. Marcus Allen, Dan Marino, Randy Moss, Aaron Rodgers all slid in the first round, so who knows until it happens on draft day.
As much as I do like Harris as a RB prospect, if the Steelers use draft capitol to trade up and draft any RB, EVER, it would be a huge mistake, IMO. Dominating the LOS is the goal, and using early picks on those that accomplish that has to be the plan. As Parcell's put it, get a QB, someone to protect the QB, or someone to get after the QB. I don't think there is any way this FO trades up to get Najee Harris. Now if he should fall to 24, now he is in the conversation. But he is still not the automatic pick.
I agree with you. Particularly this year. I don't see them giving up draft picks to move up and take a RB in the 1st round. I just don't see it.
They have a lot of holes to fill, and not a lot of cap room. I think they need every single one of their picks to try to fill those holes.
In the unlikely event that they work out a trade for Big Ben and acquire more draft picks, all bets are off and it's open season on moving up and getting as many impact players as possible.
I think the only way they take Harris is if he falls to them and they can take him without moving up. @El-Gonzo is correct. He may be there.
In the 13 games Frank Reich was the OC for Carson Wentz:
3296 passing yards
33 TDs / 7 INTs
60% completion percentage
102 QB-rating
SUMMATION:
The Colts won this trade.
Wentz wasn't the same, and eventually the entire Eagles offense slowly fell apart after Reich left as his influence faded into Peterson's.
Peterson and Roseman got all the credit for the Super Bowl win. Reich was the guy that got the most out of the offensive talent, particularly Wentz......not the "offensive guru" Peterson.
Unless Wentz is a disaster, the Colts got the better of this deal.
I would like to see Mariotta ( not sure what the cost would be ) 3rd/ 4th? I just think with his skill set and Canadas supposed style...Run, lots of motion, jet sweeps, misdirection...Mariottas legs, and ability to pull the ball back, roll out and have the run /pass option threat ...would be enticing...
THIS scenario would be a completely different Offense than the one we've seen for quite awhile!