Player
Damien Harris
RB (retired)
Career efficiency stats define a player's legacy. Harris's 4.64 Y/A on 472 carries — without padding garbage-time carries — marks him as one of the most efficient short-career RBs of his era.
472 carries, 2,188 rush yds, 21 rush TDs in 5 regular-season seasons — 4.64 Y/A career average.
MilestoneCareer regular-season totals
| Stat | Total |
|---|---|
| Carries | 472 |
| Rush Yards | 2,188 |
| Rush TDs | 21 |
| Y/Att | 4.64 |
| Receptions | 42 |
| Rec Yards | 297 |
| Rec TDs | 0 |
Why it matters. Career efficiency stats define a player's legacy. Harris's 4.64 Y/A on 472 carries — without padding garbage-time carries — marks him as one of the most efficient short-career RBs of his era.
His 2021 NE season: 202 carries, 929 rush yds, 15 rush TDs in 18 regular-season games — his peak bell-cow year.
TrendHarris production by year (regular season)
| Year | Tm | Att | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | NE | 4 | 12 | 0 |
| 2020 | NE | 137 | 691 | 2 |
| 2021 | NE | 202 | 929 | 15 |
| 2022 | NE | 106 | 462 | 3 |
| 2023 | BUF | 23 | 94 | 1 |
Rushing yards by year (regular season)
| Season | Yards |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 12 |
| 2020 | 691 |
| 2021 | 929 |
| 2022 | 462 |
| 2023 | 94 |
Why it matters. Career arc shows how a player's role evolved. Harris went from a 4-carry rookie to a legitimate top-5 RB in 2021 — all within the same offense — before injuries collapsed his career in 2022.
NE chapter (2019–22): 449 carries, 2,094 rush yds, 20 TDs. BUF finale (2023): 23 carries, 94 yds, 1 TD.
SplitHarris team history (regular season)
| Stop | Years | Carries | Rush Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE | 2019-22 | 449 | 2,094 | 20 |
| BUF | 2023 | 23 | 94 | 1 |
Why it matters. Franchise splits reveal how much a player's production was system-dependent. Harris's career was almost entirely NE-defined — his 4.66 Y/A in New England versus the small BUF sample shows how the Patriots built an offense around his skill set.
His 15 rush TDs in 2021 tied for 2nd-most in the NFL that year — behind only Jonathan Taylor's 18.
Rare2021 NFL rush TD leaders (regular season)
| Player | TDs | Yds |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | 18 | 1,811 |
| James Conner | 15 | 752 |
| Damien Harris | 15 | 929 |
| Joe Mixon | 13 | 1,205 |
Why it matters. Finishing top-3 in NFL rushing TDs is a landmark for any RB. Harris did it in a season where he didn't crack 1,000 yards — his goal-line role was elite even if his volume wasn't.
Harris's 4.45% career TD rate ties Jonathan Taylor for the highest of any 2017–2021 draft class RB with 400+ carries.
AnomalyTD rate leaders — 2017–2021 RB draft class (400+ carries)
| Player | Carries | Rush TDs | TD Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damien Harris | 472 | 21 | 4.45% |
| Jonathan Taylor | 1,551 | 69 | 4.45% |
| James Conner | 1,393 | 60 | 4.31% |
| J.K. Dobbins | 582 | 25 | 4.30% |
| Josh Jacobs | 1,840 | 74 | 4.02% |
Why it matters. TD rate per carry strips away role and volume differences and reveals pure goal-line conversion ability. Harris being tied with Taylor — across hundreds of carries — signals he was an elite short-yardage weapon, not just lucky.
Among 2019 RB draft class with 400+ carries, Harris's 4.64 Y/A leads all classmates — ahead of Pollard (4.57), Jacobs (4.24), and Montgomery (4.14).
Comparison2019 RB class career Y/A (400+ carries, regular season)
| Player | Pick | Carries | Y/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damien Harris | 87 | 472 | 4.64 |
| Tony Pollard | 128 | 1,264 | 4.57 |
| Devin Singletary | 74 | 1,120 | 4.40 |
| Josh Jacobs | 24 | 1,840 | 4.24 |
| David Montgomery | 73 | 1,477 | 4.14 |
Why it matters. Y/A across 400+ carries is the cleanest measure of rushing efficiency over a real sample. Leading your draft class in Y/A — including over a rushing champion — is a strong signal that Harris was underutilized, not just fortunate.
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