Raiders free agency 2025: Najee Harris is a power runner that fits team’s mentality

Alabama product has size and stamina to breath life into Las Vegas’ backfield

From the jump, Pete Carroll made it clear what you can expect from his Las Vegas Raiders.

“I hope this organization is recognized for the way we run the football and play defense,” the head coach said shortly after he was introduced as the new captain of the Silver & Black.

For a Raiders team that ranked dead last in rushing yards in 2024 (1,357 total yards) and second to last in attempts (380), the wily veteran head coach, general manager John Spytek, and the coaching staff must roll up their sleeves to rejuvenate a stagnant ground game.

Free agency is an option to breath life into the Raiders run game.

And thus, enter Najee Harris.

Slated to hit the free agent market when the new league year begins next week, the Alabama product showed in his collegiate career and his four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers he can shoulder the load and be an effective running back in the NFL. The soon-to-be 27-year-old (March 9) has the size, speed, stamina, and power to provide a bit of both thunder and lighting in Las Vegas.

Najee Harris
By The Numbers

• 2024: 17 games (17 starts), 263 carries, 1,043 yards, 6 touchdowns; 36 receptions, 283 yards
• Career: 68 games (68 starts), 1,097 carries, 4,312 yards, 12 touchdowns; 180 receptions, 1,149 yards, 6 touchdowns

The 6-foot-1, 242-pound tailback was the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh and in each of his four years with the Steelers, Harris eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark and played in and started in all 17 games over the course of those seasons. His power-running style is a fit for what Carroll is installing in Las Vegas as Harris provides bell cow-back type durability and reliability.

Harris is likely to garner plenty of attention from suitors in free agency. And Saquon Barkley’s massive extension with the Philadelphia Eagles may have ripple effects on the payrate for running backs next week, which may raise Harris’ valuation. Spotrac, for example, has a market value of $9.2 million in average annual salary for Harris and a contract of three years, $27.499-plus million. That kind of deal would give the tailback the seventh richest deal at the position group. Over The Cap (OTC) has a valuation of $7.062 million average per year for Harris, in comparison. That would slot the running back in the fourth richest amongst the position group in annual average, according to OTC.

Las Vegas isn’t hurting in cap space like other teams — even with Maxx Crosby’s rich contract extension — and bolstering the running back room should be a must-do.

Carroll’s comments at the NFL Combine a week ago only stressed the importance of the ground and pound philosophy the new Raiders regime harkens upon. Both Carroll and Spytek readily admit making the job easier on the quarterback is mission critical and being able to effectively run the ball is vital.

“The running game is a huge element of that. Not just so that you can run the football. It isn’t like three yards in the cloud of dust, that isn’t what we’re talking about. You have to be able to run the football so that you can control your aspect of the game and take care of the ball so that the quarterback isn’t under duress, he isn’t in issues, he’s not behind the sticks, he’s not behind the game, he’s not behind the score because of the way the defense plays, the way the special teams play, and we try to build a team around the quarterback position,” Carrolll said during his media availability. “Because as Coach (Bill) Walsh said a long time, it’s the hardest position in professional sports to play. We need to do everything we can to facilitate and make it as easy as possible for that guy. So that’s why the running game is so fundamental to it.”

The Raiders running back room is currently: Zamir White, Sincere McCormick, Dylan Laube, Isaiah Spiller, Chris Collier, Tyreik McAllister (RB/WR) and each are on one-year deals that expire next offseason.

McCormick showcased a low center of gravity with burst and power — Spytek got to see this himself when the Raiders played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14 (but lost 28-13). McCormick had 15 carries and 78 yards that game with a 29-yard burst (see below).

Meanwhile, White regressed and Laube and the rest of the group remain question marks. That all noted, adding Harris to a backfield to compete with McCormick and Co. would help the entire group tremendously.

And there’s also the 2025 draft that has intriguing prospects. And that’s another avenue to create dependable and productive depth at the all-important tailback spot.

Spytek provided his own insight on the running back position and the deep draft class that’s ripe for the picking in late April.

“I mean, you saw what the Eagles did this year, right? I mean, Saquon (Barkley) is a different animal, but the emphasis on the run game and the physicality that comes with it. And for running backs, I mean, I think people get really caught up on speed, which is great. If you can find Chris Johnson that runs 4.28 or whatever he ran, and nobody can catch him, awesome,” Spytek said during his media availability at the combine. “But to me, it’s more about the guys that have great instincts, great vision, that are hard to get on the ground. If they can run 4.3s, even better, but I’ve seen a lot of great ones that run the 4.5s and 4.6s that are just hard to tackle and that they set the tone for the team. So we’re looking for that.”