If the New York Giants don’t think they’ve done enough to replace Saquon Barkley, they still have time to swing a trade for a Pro Bowl replacement. The proposal would involve swapping two late-round NFL draft picks for Pittsburgh Steelers’ workhorse Najee Harris.
It’s an idea put forward by Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler. He has the Giants flip a sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft, along with a fourth-rounder a year later, for Harris.
Fowler believes there is merit to adding Harris to a backfield now comprised of Devin Singletary, 2023 fifth-round selection Eric Gray and this year’s rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. Replacing Barkley’s Pro-Bowl talents will be a tall order for this trio, so a power back like Harris could have value.
The Giants make sense as a trade suitor because they “already roster three former Steelers in Allen Robinson, Gunner Olszewski and Miles Boykin, a nod towards Schoen’s likeness of Steelers skill players.”
There are other reasons why the Steelers might be receptive to trading the 2021 Pro Bowler.
Najee Harris Could Improve With Giants
The Steelers have two good reasons to consider dealing Harris now, according to Fowler. First, there’s Harris’ reduced workload: “Despite amassing over 1,000-yards in each of his first three seasons as a pro, his volume has annually decreased leaving many to speculate when Pittsburgh HC Mike Tomlin will ultimately turn the keys over to former undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren.”
Then there’s the Steelers still being able to get something back from their investment in Harris: “Considering the Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option, a move sooner rather than later would present Pittsburgh with some remanence of a return, even if it’s a late-round or compensatory selection.”
Put the two together and there are compelling reasons for the Steelers to want to cash in on the player selected 24th overall in the 2021 NFL draft. That’s good news for the Giants because Harris would improve in the NFC East.
The 6-foot-1, 242-pounder would add the power-running element the Giants lost when Barkley left town to join the Philadelphia Eagles. Harris doesn’t shy away from contact and knows how to finish runs violently, the way he did for this touchdown against the Tennessee Titans last season, highlighted by ESPN’s Matt Bowen.
The 26-year-old proved his ability to thrive after contact by tying a career-best 30 broken tackles last season. Harris also gained a career-high 2.4 yards after contact per rushing attempt, according to Pro Football Reference.
Trading for Harris would replace some of the thump Barkley made a feature of the Giants’ running game. A deal would also offset the decision to waive power back Gary Brightwell.
No longer having Barkley, Brightwell nor veteran backup Matt Breida, leaves the Giants one-dimensional on the ground.
Giants Need More Variety Post-Saquon Barkley
The post-Barkley running back rotation is long on speed, but short on brute force. Singletary, Gray and potential third-down specialist Tracy can all attack the edges of defenses, but the Giants need a back adept at gaining yards between the tackles.
Harris could make the latter role his own, even if it was only in short-yardage situations and for goal-line work. He has a knack for finding pay-dirt, summed up by this scoring plunge on 4th-and-short against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
There’s a lot to recommend the Giants engineering a trade for Harris, provided they could acquire the player on the cheap. He’s a proven commodity with a Pro Bowl-worthy CV who’d fill a niche role and help a more balanced running game better support struggling quarterback Daniel Jones.
The Steelers have the incentives to make a deal, so the Giants should at least explore the possibility.
