Experience, intelligence, athleticism. These are all traits that make a successful offensive line prospect, and things that all 32 NFL teams are looking for in this year’s draft.
They’ll find them all in Washington’s Nick Harris.
A battle-tested blocker with experience at every interior offensive line position, Harris recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his ability to play multiple spots, the leadership ability of Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason, and what kind of impact he’ll have at the next level.
JM: You’re an experienced starting center, and you really were the leader of that Washington offensive line. How does that experience serve you well going forward?
NH: Experience is never a bad thing and I have a lot of it. We played against some of the best defenses in the nation and I’ve played against some of the best interior defensive linemen in the nation. It certainly gives me an edge to compete at the next level. I embraced a leadership role at Washington. That will go a long way for me as well. I have the experience teams are looking for at the next level.
JM: Speaking of those linemen, who are some of the best interior defensive linemen you’ve squared off with?
NH: The first people that come to mind are the guys that we’ve had at Washington throughout my time there. We’ve been blessed with so many quality defensive linemen. Guys like Vita Vea, Greg Gaines, Elijah Qualls and Shane Bowman. All of those guys have serious NFL talent and I had to go up against them every single day. Regarding our opponents, you had guys like Leki Fotu from Utah. I played against Derrick Brown from Auburn during my junior year. The defensive tackles at USC are so solid. We had to play against a lot of talented guys that will definitely be playing on Sunday’s.
JM: What do you enjoy about playing center?
NH: I mostly just enjoy being in the middle of it all. It fits my personality. I’m an outgoing guy. I’m an excellent communicator. I’m not afraid to talk to anyone. I love the responsibility that comes with playing the position. I love being able to use my football I.Q. as a trait. You definitely have to have a high football I.Q. to play the position. I love the game of football and I have a great understanding of things. I love using that to my advantage as a center.
JM: You spent most of your time at center over the past few years, but you’ve played some left and right guard, as well. Do you think it makes the most sense for your pro team to keep you at center at the next level?
NH: I would say so, yes. I’m capable of playing anywhere inside though. I played my first two years at Washington at left and right guard, just like you said. There’s no telling how much better I would have gotten at guard if I had stayed there. I love playing on the interior. I’ll play anywhere that my team needs me to play for sure.
JM: Is there a scheme that you prefer or maybe that you’re more comfortable in?
NH: I would like to play in an offense that uses my play style to my advantage. I enjoy blocking on the second level. I love using my athleticism to create an advantage for myself. I enjoy the different wide zone concepts, a lot of downfield stuff. That definitely suits me best. With that said, we did a little bit of everything at Washington. I played in a multiple offense. We did everything. I’m definitely capable of playing in any kind of offense.
JM: You were also at the Senior Bowl. Who were some of the best pass rushers you saw down there?
NH: I mostly went up against the interior defensive linemen down there. I thought that Davon Hamilton from Ohio State was a good defensive tackle. He’s a strong guy with powerful hands. Jason Strowbridge from North Carolina was pretty good, too. He was quick and he had really good hands. All of the guys down there were solid, but those two stuck out to me the most.
JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
NH: My personal favorite way, I mean every offensive linemen loves to dominate. I actually enjoy the mental aspect of it more. I like winning the psychological battle in the trenches. That’s something I take pride in. I like chirping them, I like getting chippy. I think that takes a toll on a defensive linemen throughout the game. Everybody says that I’m a little undersized. I don’t believe I am but that’s what they say. You gotta use anything you can to gain the upper hand.
JM: Do you have a preferred pass set, and do you vary that throughout the course of a game?
NH: Yeah, I personally like pass setting different players differently. It’s important that I keep them on their toes. I don’t want them to get used to how I’m pass setting. That’s how you become predictable. If I’m up against a quicker guy, I like to set right on the ball, a quick little set. That allows me to stop their rush rather quickly. I would say the same for the bull rush guys just so they don’t get momentum right off the snap. I like switching it up though. You have to throw them off throughout the game.
JM: What can you tell me about Jacob Eason the man, the leader, and the quarterback?
NH: He came on so strong for us this year. He definitely took on a leadership role. A lot of people don’t think that he did that but I can tell you firsthand that he did. We relied on him a lot this year. As the quarterback in our offense, he was obviously the face of our offense. Somebody had to grow into that role following the departure of Jake Browning and Jacob definitely did that. The talent is there, man. He loves football and he loves being around the guys. He was a hell of a leader for us. I enjoyed watching him grow over these past two years. The ceiling is incredibly high for him at the next level because he loves football.
JM: What kind of impact is Nick Harris going to make at the next level?
NH: I’m gonna bring a different energy to a team, an energy that people can feed off of. I’m definitely gonna embrace a leadership role. People feed off of that. I’m just gonna bring a competitive edge to the locker room. I want people to see it. I wanna compete with my teammates day in, day out. Those are the things I’m gonna bring with me to the next level.
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