STRENGTHS
Najee is a multi-talented, multi-faceted, multi-position type of football player that every team needs to have a threatening offense on every down and distance. Now you see Najee in the backfield, now you don’t…now you see him in the slot, now you don’t…now you see him lined up outside, now you don’t. It’s like trying to find Waldo in that team’s offense. Najee shows on film, excellent running back skills with the visual balance and strength to break tackles. He has good lateral agility and burst to make opponents miss him in the hole and that is why he is the type of back who can run between the tackles or take it outside and beat you around the corner. He also has this unique ability and skill to hurdle opponents like a gazelle in the open field and gain yardage when it looks like there is no yardage to gain. Najee reminds me a lot, in his style of play and high football IQ, of the Saints Alvin Kamara. I call him “Waldo” because defenses will have to try and find him on every down and distance and account for him or he will disappear into the end zone for six points.
CONCERNS
There’s not much in the concern department except to question, his ability to pick up the blitz and pass block? The truth is, I don’t think with his receiving skills that the ability to block or not to block in the backfield, is really an issue for teams to be concerned with.
BOTTOM LINE 1.61
Najee, like Alvin Kamara, is a weapon to be used all over your offense. You don’t keep him in the backfield to block. You either hand the ball off to him, throw the ball to him or, use him on play-action as a decoy. Nevertheless, if your offensive coordinator is not very good and decides to use him for blocking, I have no doubt that Najee could block just as well as anything else he does on the field. There is this ridiculous theory out there that you don’t select RB’s in the 1st round. In a lot of cases, I tend to agree because most running backs are one positional players and not complete players but, that is not the case with Najee. He is a weapon and a complete back with receiving skills and the ability to run routes like a wide receiver. Najee is a weapon who has played and dominated one of the best divisions in college football, in bowl games and championship games. So, if you think your offense doesn’t want to add that type of weapon to it then go ahead…follow your stupid rule. Don’t select a player who can hurdle others on the field like a gazelle. Go ahead, pass on selecting a player you can’t find where he is line up in the offense, on the game film from down to down, as you try to game plan…I dare you…stupid rule!
