Christian Harris NFL Draft Overview
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6′-0″
Weight: 226 pounds
School: Alabama
Christian Harris 2022 NFL Draft Profile
After three seasons at Alabama, linebacker Christian Harris has decided to forego the remainder of his college eligibility and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. Harris is coming off yet another solid season with the Crimson Tide, appearing in 15 games while recording 90 tackles, 11.5 tackles-for-loss, and 5.5 sacks.
Harris originally joined the college football world as a four-star recruit. Signing with Alabama, the Baton Rouge native forced his way into a starting job as a true freshman. Appearing in 12 games, Harris finished his first college season with 61 tackles and 7.5 tackles-for-loss. He followed this up in 2020 by recording 79 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, and one interception.
Strengths
- Aggressive downhill tackler that doesn’t shy from contact;
- Smaller than your average linebacker, but doesn’t play like it;
- Good enough to start as a true freshman on Alabama’s defense;
- Played in a pro-style defense and shouldn’t much time to adjust to NFL schemes;
- High upside as a blitzer;
- Can drop into zone when required and take away the short middle.
Weaknesses
- Locks in on the ball carrier and doesn’t see the whole field;
- Didn’t show much growth in college – no real improvement from freshman to junior year;
- Can be beat by agility in the open field – lateral quickness needs to improve;
- Struggles in man coverage against tight ends;
- 15.7% missed tackle rate, per PFF
- Takes himself out of plays by misreading blocking patterns.
NFL Comparison: Daryl Washington
Teams With Need at Position: Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles
Projection: Round 2
Bottom Line on Christian Harris
Christian Harris is a high floor prospect that could compete to start on Day 1, but he doesn’t have the highest ceiling. On the bright side, the linebacker has the attitude and play style needed to succeed at the professional level. Harris routinely attacks the line of scrimmage, and his natural athleticism allows him to drop into coverage, play the run, and blitz the quarterback effectively.
Harris is smaller than your average linebacker, but he doesn’t play like it. The Baton Rouge native’s lack of build was never a major issue at Alabama, and considering the high level of competition he faced, it probably won’t be an issue in the NFL. While his missed tackle rate was high, most of those misses came in the open field. When working in the box, Harris always held up to his assignment.
Of course, there is a reason Harris isn’t being drafted in the top of this class. Harris gets a little too focused on the running back in the run game and doesn’t account for the opposing blocking patterns. This leads to Harris shooting the wrong gaps and allowing big plays. He also isn’t the best at tackling in the open field, and it’s hard to envision a player with his build standing his ground with bigger tight ends in man coverage.
Most of these flaws are fixable, but the fact that Harris basically stayed the same throughout his Alabama tenure implies that he might just be a finished product. Even if he doesn’t develop further, Harris is still a solid player that should be starting before long.
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