Nick Harris | OL | Washington
Elevator Pitch
A polished and determined interior offensive line prospect who brings athleticism and coordination to the table, Harris has the potential to step in and be a solid starter at the next level. Despite his deficiencies, he has plenty of tools in his game to warrant looks late on Day 2 of the draft.
Vitals
Height | 6-1
Weight | 302
Strengths
If Harris were even two inches and 10 pounds of muscle heavier, there’s a solid chance we’d be looking at him as a possible first-round pick.
Harris brings impressive athleticism to the center position. He has good lateral quickness, as he can move around well in pass protection and execute down blocks with efficiency. He climbs to the second level well when called upon to do so, and he is able to maintain good coordination and body control when moving to block linebackers or defensive backs. His overall fluidity allows him to rotate his hips and adjust his frame to square up to defenders.
Centers are known for being some of the smartest players on the football field, and that rings true with Harris. He does a good job of adjusting his set points and figuring out which sets to use on a given play. He communicates well with his teammates to slide protection or make other adjustments at the line of scrimmage. When asked to block on a zone play, he is able to clear out his zone effectively and understand what his assignment is on said play. His intelligence translates to his technique too, as he plays with great leverage in his pads and sinks into contact well to get his weight underneath him. He plays with a high motor and also possesses impressive determination and grip strength when he locks up with a defender.
Weaknesses
The big issue with Harris as a prospect has to do with a lack of an NFL build. He’s short for an offensive lineman and doesn’t have significant muscle weight in his frame. His lack of length limits his range as a blocker a bit, and he could stand to pack on a few more pounds of muscle and strengthen his core a bit. That lack of bulk shows up on tape sometimes, as his anchor strength can be improved in order to get better against powerful interior defenders at the next level. While he weighed in at over 300 pounds at the Combine, he played at well under that mark in his collegiate career.
Harris’ hand placement has shown some promise, but there are times where he ends up misplacing his strikes and failing to maintain proper leverage in that regard. He has an occasional tendency to hold onto defenders when the play doesn’t go according to plan, which will need to be cleaned up a bit at the next level.
Projection: Day 2
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