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Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Washington tight end Cade Otton
A four-year starter who was productive as both a blocker and pass-catcher, Washington’s Cade Otton will look to bring his experience and consistency to the next level as he enters the 2022 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Huskies’ talented tight end prospect:
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Washington cornerback Kyler Gordon
The “other” Huskies cornerback who could land in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, Kyler Gordon brings his own impressive combination of athleticism and polished technique to a premium position.
Here is everything you need to know about this shutdown artist:
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Washington defensive back Trent McDuffie
One of the most fiercely competitive defenders in college football, Washington’s Trent McDuffie brings the total package to a loaded corner class in the 2022 NFL draft.
Here is everything you need to know about the Huskies’ do-it-all cover man:
Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Washington offensive line prospect Nick Harris
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.
Height | 6-1
Weight | 302
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.
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.
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Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Washington offensive line prospect Nick Harris
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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