Charles Harris is Certainly an Edger Rusher, But is That All?
I was duped by the Miami Dolphins apparent lack of interest in Charles Harris, so the pick was a surprise… despite Armando Salguero touting the opposite. Good call, Armando.
This sort of Sun Tzu type of move by the Front Office was pretty nice to see… for a change.
But, it will only be a nice long term IF Harris develops. And he does need to develop–a lot–to be anything more than a situational pass rusher.
So the questions now are: did Miami miss on a better prospect? Was it foolish not to use your best chip to fill a positional need with a starter? Was it smart to decline offers to trade back? And, at this point, the most important question is, will Harris grow into more than he is currently?
Until the draft is complete, it’s impossible to answer the first two questions.
I see Miami needing 2-3 starters, and 2-3 contributors from this draft to fill this team out enough to seriously compete in 2017. Yes, some surprise progression from players already on the squad and a couple of cheap post-draft Free Agents could fill in that gap, but those are not the kind of odds NFL football fans and best pay per head reviews want to bet the season on.
So, the two big factors in evaluating this pick are the loss of additional picks and Harris’ final product as a player.
It took a blue-chip plus a little extra to acquire Harris
The Miami Dolphins stated they had two offers for the 22nd pick. We don’t know how far back or what the compensation would have been, but likely at least a 3rd round pick was lost. So Harris isn’t just worth the 22nd overall pick, but a little extra as well. This puts the bar of justification for his acquisition even higher.
The bottom line is Harris needs to become, at the very least, a Pro Bowl alternate level player.
Miami could have had the extra pick and Forest Lamp, who both fills a need and is likely to be at least an above-average player.
Would I rather have an excellent DE / SLB or an excellent Guard and a shot at another player? I’d take the former at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, Harris isn’t even close to being a starter, much less a Pro Bowl player.
Okay, so am I saying Miami screwed the pooch? No.
Actually, I liked Davis more due to his ability to make a bigger instant impact, and Harris under cursory scrutiny with a tail end of the first or second-round pick. But, after his pick, and looking at him with a finer toothed comb, I can say I really like the possibilities this kid offers… IF his game improves dramatically in two areas: run defense and play recognition.
The reality is, Harris is raw because of his lack of experience. He played only one year of high school football and was a two-year starter in college. That is much like Ryan Tannehill’s type of raw when he was drafted.
Now I’m a fan of Tannehill, and I think 2017 will end all the talk of him not being good enough.
I also think Harris can develop in the same way, but much faster. Can I say for certain that he will? No. But a few factors hint that he will.
Harris is a raw talent that can be polished into a gem
For Harris, all the physical talent is there.
Yes, he bombed the combine, but he nailed the Pro Day. As an example, his vertical went from 32 inches at the combine to 37 at his Pro Day. Let’s be clear, you don’t get lucky on verticals. You can have a bad day, but you can’t get lucky and have a good one. You got hops or you don’t.
He was smooth in footwork, and coverage, and had excellent hands. He demonstrated an ability to play the pass–and that is a huge asset, whether Miami uses him as a DE in coverage with Zone Blitzes, or as an SLB covering. This means Harris could be the Jack on this defense… if we can get some creativity out of a Defensive Coordinator. I like the thought of that.
So from both a physical and mental standpoint, Harris rebounded very nicely and dispelled the ugly episode with a comeback. That speaks to his resilience.
If you watch his tape Harris doesn’t lack effort. He is always chasing and attacking. It’s not Lawrence Taylor type effort or aggression, but he has juice.
Also, I’m a big believer in watching interviews to get a look under the hood of someone’s psyche. I like what I saw from him. He appears intelligent, clear thinking, and honest. All signs of good character. This combined with his physical talents leads me to feel very good about his chances to grow into more.
To be fair though, he didn’t seem to adapt to a new defense last year. Harris struggled until they brought back the scheme he was used to. So this isn’t 100% done deal.
Chris Grier jammed his flag deep into the ground on this one. Tonight will offer more clarity on Miami’s future. Harris’ review won’t be as quick… it may take a season or more. Given last year’s big question marks left on the 2016 Draft, Harris could be a make or break moment in this regime. I see the potential, but it’s up to Harris and Miami to make it realized. Go Fins!!!
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