The Rams showed interest in UCF wide receiver Jacob Harris leading up to the draft. They met with him over video conference and got to know the raw prospect before eventually selecting him in the fourth round.
Harris only played one year of high school football and spent just two years catching passes in college, so he’s not the cleanest prospect. But the Rams plan to play him at tight end and utilize his rare combination of size, speed, quickness and leaping ability as a matchup nightmare for defenders.
In the sixth episode of the Rams’ series “Inside the Draft,” fans get a peek behind the curtain of what went into the selection of Harris at No. 141 overall.
One scout said “he’s definitely a physical freak” and someone “that has passion,” which will help him make it in the NFL because he’s so involved on special teams, too.
“He’s a physical freak. He’s a guy that has passion.”
Inside the Draft: selecting @HarrisJacob_16 | @RocketMortgage pic.twitter.com/7EThtbBTo6
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) May 18, 2021
“You see that and you’re like, ‘Hey, if this is a guy that hadn’t played a ton of football, well, he’s going to buy time because he’s going to want to get on special teams. He’s gonna want to do it the right way and he’s going to play with passion. So he jumped on the scene then and I think he’s going to be a great addition to the team.”
Harris may not contribute much on offense as a rookie in 2021, but Les Snead said he was probably the top special teams player in the entire draft, so expect to see him covering kicks and attempting to block some field goals.
At 6-foot-5 with 4.39 speed and a 40.5-inch vertical, Harris is already one of the most athletic players on the entire team.