Tua Tagovailoa wants the Dolphins to draft Najee Harris from Alabama

Tua Tagovailoa and Najee Harris were in the backfield at Alabama and the Miami Dolphins quarterback hopes they can forge the same connection in the NFL.

If you’re talking about an elite NFL Draft prospect coming out of Alabama, it’s not a stretch to say that the majority of NFL teams would like to have them on the roster. However, that connection is heightened when you’re talking about a former Crimson Tide star wanting to rejoin forces with an incoming prospect. Such is the case on the Miami Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa and Najee Harris.

Appearing on the Yahoo Sports podcast with Eric Edholm, the Dolphins second-year quarterback was asked about his former running back in Tuscaloosa. Tagovailoa praised Harris’ ability, saying that he’s “going to be a fun guy to watch” as he makes his way into the NFL. More importantly, though, Tua added, “Hopefully we’re on the same team.”

Because of the connection forged by Nick Saban between Tagovailoa and Harris, Miami has been a popular landing spot in mock drafts for Harris, who many expect to be the first running back off the board in 2021. But to hear the young quarterback voice that same opinion is certainly intriguing.

Najee Harris would make a ton of sense with Tua Tagovailoa in the Dolphins offense.

More importantly, the prospect of adding Harris should intrigue the Dolphins.

Though Myles Gaskin flashed some nice moments last year, his injuries that cropped up as well as his profile indicate that he’s best served as a change of pace back. Subsequently, given that Miami has been one of the worst rushing offenses in the league over the past couple of seasons, they need a player who can shoulder the load.

Adding that element to the offense could be key to the development of Tagovailoa, assuming the Dolphins are intent on keeping him around and don’t trade him for Deshaun Watson. While he must become a quicker and more poised decision-maker at the NFL level, having the threat of a good run game would aid that cause.

Harris can provide that for Miami and is also a threat in the modern NFL offense. He’s a bull when running between the tackles and on the outside but he also possesses impressive burst, explosiveness and short-area quickness for a back who’s 6-2, 230 pounds. On top of that, he’s proven his merit as a pass-catcher out of the backfield as well.

The big question for Miami will be the value of selecting Najee Harris in the 2021 NFL Draft. Running backs have largely been pushed down draft boards and taking one in the first round is often frowned upon. So would they be willing to take him at No. 18? Do they believe he could fall to them at the beginning of the second round? These are the questions they must ask.

On a baseline level, however, Tua Tagovailoa is far from wrong in what he hopes happens with the Dolphins in the draft. Sure, he wants to be reunited with a familiar face and former Alabama teammate. However, Najee Harris is also a player who can give the Miami offense and the young quarterback something they need.