CFB Playoff: Najee Harris improved NFL Draft stock value to SF 49ers

The SF 49ers aren’t likely to take a running back high in the 2021 NFL Draft. But Alabama’s Najee Harris sure would be enticing.

The SF 49ers, probably along with most teams, would be pretty happy about nabbing one of the big three offensive playmakers from Alabama’s lopsided 52-24 win over Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday: quarterback Mac Jones, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and running back Najee Harris.

Jones, who could easily be in play for San Francisco if it looks to make some changes at quarterback this offseason, had himself a night with five touchdown passes against zero interceptions, helming a dangerous Crimson Tide offense all night with Smith getting open all over the place.

While Smith was outstanding before exiting with a finger injury, Harris was nearly as impressive.

Harris got the tide on the board first with a 1-yard touchdown run, then added two more scores later in the game with a combined 158 yards equally split with 79 yards rushing and another 79 yards receiving.

Talk about dual threats.

What made Harris so enticing was the combination of size, second-level speed, elusiveness and strength during the game. All too often, Ohio State defenders had him bottled up, only to see Harris break away from would-be tacklers to pick up extra yardage.

Prior to the championship, Pro Football Focus had Harris as the No. 71 overall prospect and the third running back on their 2021 NFL Draft big board.

It’s probably safe to assume Harris will climb from that spot, perhaps into the top 30 players after Monday night.

Najee Harris makes sense for the SF 49ers in more ways than one

The Niners have plenty of other needs in this year’s draft outside of a running back, and head coach Kyle Shanahan has a long-established tendency of not using early picks on rushers, rather finding and developing “hidden gems” from later rounds or undrafted players altogether.

But Harris is of a different ilk, and one needs to note San Francisco is still a run-first team.

Harris, 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, has a bell-cow frame without sacrificing the speed and shiftiness of smaller backs the SF 49ers have used before. That helps guard against the injury attrition the Niners dealt with at the position for much of last year, losing running backs Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., JaMycal Hasty and Tevin Coleman to extended lengths of time because of injuries.

Mostert, Wilson and Hasty all figure into San Francisco’s immediate future, but one could argue Harris would be a younger, healthier option for Shanahan if selected.

And while Shanahan has long preferred a running back-by-committee approach, getting a massive playmaker in the mix like Harris could do wonders for his offense.

Now, the only question is where Harris winds up being selected.

Many teams are also avoiding taking running backs early on draft day, thereby passing up first-round investments on a position where both attrition and depth can be found elsewhere. That surely benefits the SF 49ers, though, especially if Harris winds up being a second-round target.

The Niners’ first two picks in the draft are Nos. 12 and 43 overall.

Should Harris somehow slip into Round 3, which doesn’t seem likely after Monday night, it would almost be a coup if San Francisco winds up getting its hands on Harris. Even then, few SF 49ers fans would complain about a second-round addition after witnessing Harris’ efforts against a tough Buckeyes defense.

Either way, Harris sure impressed NFL scouts with what he did in the championship game, and he certainly rose up the Niners’ own big board after the contest.