Buccaneers: 5 players to watch at Reese’s Senior Bowl
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers don’t need another running back. Or do they…?
Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
Do the Buccaneers need Najee Harris? No. Should the Buccaneers draft Najee Harris? No. Will the Buccaneers draft Najee Harris? Maybe. The Bucs have not been very consistent with their approach to the running back position in recent years, so it’s safe to say that no one could rule this out as a possibility.
As the NFL has slowly started to shift away from drafting running backs in the first round, the Buccaneers could have their pick of the bunch at the 31st or 32nd pick. Who’s to say the Bucs don’t follow the Chiefs’ lead from last season and bet on a running back with an early pick?
This is the type of selection that hurts and helps simultaneously. Harris could easily be the best running back in the NFL in a few years, but the Bucs can’t use another draft pick on a running back.
Regardless of what’s right or wrong, the final decision will come down to Bruce Arians and what he feels is the biggest disparity for the Buccaneer roster, and the run game still has room to improve.
Harris has the tools to be the best three-down back in the league with a wealth of technical advantages in various categories, and he could still help out the Buccaneers despite the high price of his selection.