Overview
Position: Safety
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 207 pounds
School: Boston College Eagles
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.41 seconds (fourth-best among safeties)
Bench press: 20 reps (tied for third-best among safeties)
Vertical jump: 36.5 inches
Three-cone drill: 6.91 seconds (fifth-best among safeties)
20-yard shuttle: 4.12 seconds (fifth-best among safeties)
Will Harris 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Boston College safety Will Harris is looking to follow in his father’s footsteps as he heads into the 2019 NFL Draft. While his father never broke camp with a professional team, Harris has a chance to be the first in his family to make it onto the NFL field.
Harris is coming off of arguably the best season of his collegiate career. Appearing in all 12 games as a senior, Harris recorded 75 tackles, one interception, and one tackle-for-loss for the Boston College Eagles. His strong play earned him third-team All-ACC honors for the first time in his career.
Harris initially joined Boston College prior to the 2015 college football season. Earning a spot as a true freshman, Harris spent the majority of the season serving as a backup. However, the defensive back forced his way into the starting lineup late in the season. In all, Harris finished his freshman season with 20 tackles, one interception, and one pass defended.
Harris held on to the starting job throughout the remainder of his collegiate tenure. The Georgia native played in all 26 games as a sophomore and junior, recording a combined 130 tackles, three interceptions, six passes defended, and 6.5 tackles for loss.
Strengths
- one of the fastest straight-line safeties in the draft;
- boasts ideal athleticism based on Combine testing;
- has size and strength to match up against tight ends;
- hard-hitting safety who won’t get overpowered;
- can immediately contribute as a special teamer.
Weaknesses
- slow reactions in coverage;
- doesn’t possess ideal ball skills;
- struggles to read route combinations and is a step late in zone;
- struggles to disengage against larger blockers in the run game;
- loses effectiveness away from the line of scrimmage.
NFL Comparison: Antonio Allen
Teams With Need at Position: San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons
Projection: Round five
Bottom Line
Harris should start 2019 on an active roster, but he shouldn’t be starting. The Boston College product has the athleticism and overall build to succeed in the NFL. His physicality allows him to match up with tight ends and his speed allows him to hold his own against running backs. He’s rarely out of place when asked to play near the box and can immediately contribute on special teams.
However, Harris has a few glaring flaws which will relegate him to backup work. Despite his top speed, Harris isn’t instinctive and struggles to diagnose plays from zone coverage. He’s typically one step too slow when asked to drop back and read the field. While a man coverage defense can help mask this flaw, at some point Harris will have to play in a zone. Additionally, Harris struggles to disengage against larger blockers at the college football landscape. This could develop into a big problem in the NFL, as the size and speed of the competition increase tenfold relative to college football.
Harris has the physical tools required to correct these flaws and make this scouting report look really bad in a few years. However, he’s still a ways away from putting it all together, if he ever does. The right coaching staff could turn him into a starter. But in the meantime, look for Harris to spend 2018 as a backup and key special teams contributor.
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