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Jaylen Warren to Take the RB1 Spot Soon for Steelers Over Najee Harris According to Sources

In education, the phrase “building the plane as you fly” has gained popularity. It conveys the sensations of risk and uncertainty that come with creating innovations and testing them with real people while also being in charge of maintaining current operations.

That’s what Pittsburg Steelers were up to during 2022 season. Ben Roethlisberger, the team’s longtime quarterback, had retired, and the offence was in disarray. They selected Kenny Pickett, a rookie, and brought in Mitch Trubisky, a seasoned quarterback.

The offence had a lot of young players and an offensive coordinator with questionable skills. Up until they decided to try a new “running back by committee” strategy that was considerably more effective, the Steelers’ running game was also receiving a lot of criticism.

Journey of Jaylen Warren

Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris made up the running back committee. Harris, a University of Alabama player, was chosen in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Harris established a reputation for himself as a strong, athletic back while playing for Alabama.

He was frequently spotted running through opponents to reach the end zone.

Harris had a fantastic first season, running for 1,200 yards and scoring seven touchdowns. In addition, he caught 74 passes for an additional 467 yards and three more scores. While leading all running backs in receptions, he finished fourth in rushing yards and overall yards. He had the most touches (381), and he also had no turnovers.

Harris wasn’t the only one who improved over the past nine weeks. The quarterback was much better, the offensive line was lot better, and even the play-calling appeared to be much better. This is all positive news for Harris heading into the 2023 season.

Will Najee Harris of the Steelers lose his starting position to Jaylen Warren?

Now that the 2023 preseason is safely behind us, we can focus on the upcoming Week 1 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite Warren receiving more snaps than Harris during the preseason, Warren is set to serve as Harris’ backup.

Despite being designated as the backup, there are others who still think Warren will pass Harris for the starting position before the season is done. Dan Graziano, an ESPN senior NFL reporter, is one example of this.

Grzaiano recently said in an article he wrote

“Yes, Najee Harris was the team’s first-round pick in 2021. Yes, he has been a productive and reliable No. 1 back in his first two years, even as the offense overall struggled. And yes, he was coming off a foot injury at the start of last season, which helps explain why his production didn’t live up to that of his rookie year. So Harris is still firmly in the Steelers’ plans and opens the season as their top back.”

Although Harris won’t often go for long runs, he has proven to be strong and resilient, and is capable of dragging opponents behind him to get an extra yard. He and Warren are two different kinds of running backs, so it makes sense for Head Coach Mike Tomlin to use both of them to the fullest extent possible for the team’s advantage.

Graziano began by warning Steelers supporters that Warren will likely get more playing time and Harris less. He then praised Harris for his skills and noted that Tomlin had used Warren more frequently than usual to keep Harris fresh during the preseason.

Graziano’s conclusion leaves the audience even more perplexed . He wrote further

“But Warren’s performance in practice and games has demanded a larger role for him than what Pittsburgh had planned a year ago. He has shown the ability to spell Harris whenever asked, and he has actually looked more explosive in some areas. Unless Harris looks more like the 2021 version of himself than the 2022 version, Warren’s opportunity could increase dramatically as the year goes on.”

What do you guys think about Graziano’s article ? Is there any substance to this story or is he just milking the fans for viewership.

 

 

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