Najee Harris 2021 NFL Draft fits: 5 Best landing spots
By Tadhg Flynn
4. Cincinnati Bengals – No. 5 and 37 picks in 2021 NFL Draft
The Cincinnati Bengals have sorted their quarterback position for what will hopefully be the next 10 years plus. General managers would need to search long and hard to find a better player than Joe Burrow. His leadership qualities and personality alone would be envied as a team building piece, but paired with his talent and game management he is an ideal player to build around.
Burrow suffered his horrible double knee ligament injury in Week 11 of the season and obviously it placed a heightened sense of importance on protecting the young man. It is likely that the 2021 NFL Draft focus for the Bengals front office this year will be to stock the team with big tackles and guards, and add pieces to the receiving group to enable the best from their quarterback’s sophomore season.
However, relieving pressure from the passing game is as much about developing a strong running game as anything else. Cincinnati only had 1,668 total rushing yards last year, 24th in the league. They will need to give time and space to Burrow, especially with some mental fragility after a difficult rehab.
The Bengals could do a whole lot worse than trade their No. 5 slot to a team desperate for a quarterback (looking at you, Patriots) and take Harris with the remaining pick that would likely be in the high teens.
Harris has demonstrated in the Alabama offense that he can work off the ball and be a dual-threat player. Burrow would be a dream tandem with the running back, Harris’ huge frame battering through defensive lines on first downs before he runs a wheel route on the next down to receive out wide. It is a scary prospect for other teams, and fans better hope that the Bengals take the more expected course with their picks.