REPORT: Steelers Star RB a Viable Option For Raiders?

The Las Vegas Raiders need to retool their ground game from a league-worst attack in 2024.

They can explore free agency or take a back in the draft. Either option is viable, but CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani feels that making a move for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris should be a top priority for the Silver and Black.

Harris, who will be 27 years old at the start of the 2025 season, rushed for 1,043 yards on 263 carries and six touchdowns in 2024.

"Yes, signing a quarterback is more important than a running back, but acquiring a legitimate starter in the backfield would help whoever that next quarterback is," Dajani wrote. "Harris is used to carrying the load on offense, as he's averaged 18.7 touches per game over his NFL career. He's actually the first player since Chris Johnson to begin his career with four straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Harris could help Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson (?) get the offense back on track."

While Harris' 4,000+ rushing yards across four seasons is enticing, he is nearing 30 years old and mileage is crucial to take into account for NFL teams. That being said, Carroll likes a strong running game -- it was a hallmark of his time at USC (Reggie Bush) and in Seattle (Marshawn Lynch).

The Raiders might opt to go for a long-term back. They have the sixth overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Ashton Jeanty, meteoric talent out of Boise State, will likely be there for them. Jeanty is a generational talent by all accounts, accumulating an incredible 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 374 carries for the Broncos.

As Las Vegas Raiders On SI has previously reported, the "5-foot-9, 215-pound Jeanty has a compact, durable frame that runs angry at 4.42 40-yard dash speed, and when all of the tools in his arsenal are factored in he is considered a generational talent. Perhaps there has not been running back prospect like this since Ezekiel Elliott came out of Ohio State in 2016. Jeanty has been projected as a top-10 draft selection in recent mock drafts."

There are plenty of other options, too, such as Iowa's Kaleb Johnson and North Carolina's Omarion Hampton.

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