Najee Harris Deserves More Respect in NFL Rookie of the Year Odds
By Peter Dewey
The 2021 NFL season is going to bring a lot of storylines, and the race for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year will be one of the most intriguing things to watch.
With five quarterbacks going in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and three of them in the first three picks, there are going to be plenty of contenders for the award.
While Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson seem to be guaranteed the starting job, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones are all in battles for the top job on their respective teams.
One rookie that has an immediate path to playing time is Pittsburgh Steelers running back and first-round pick Najee Harris. Yet, Vegas doesn’t seem to like his chances of winning the award.
WynnBET has given Harris the eighth-best odds to win the award at +1600, as he trails all five quarterbacks as well as Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase and Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
While Pitts and Chase were both top-five selections, it’s surprising that Harris, who seems destined to fill in for James Conner as the new starter, is on the outside looking in. Chase specifically will be competing with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd for looks, and Pitts figures to be a No. 2 option behind Calvin Ridley in Atlanta.
Pass catchers certainly are volatile when it comes to numbers as rookies, and Harris could follow an interesting pattern with rookie running backs to propel him at least ahead of Chase and Pitts on the oddsboard.
At least one rookie running back has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each season since 2012, including five running backs over the past three seasons. With the NFL going to a 17-game schedule in 2021, Harris will have even more opportunities to complete this feat.
The last time a running back won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award came in 2018 when Saquon Barkley won the award, but three of the last six players to win the award have been running backs.
Odell Beckham Jr. was the last receiver to win the award back in 2014, while quarterbacks have taken home three of the past six awards. To put it simply, Harris is a value pick at +1600 odds in a backfield that will likely be his from day one.
Don’t be surprised if the University of Alabama product establishes himself as the best non-quarterback rookie in his first season.