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It might surprise you to know, but the New York Giants might find themselves in need of a safety. As of this writing they haven't made any moves toward adding one to the roster in free agency, and they only have three natural safeties in-house.
The Giants could look to the draft to continue to build their defense, and there are a number of safeties graded pretty closely together. One of those is the versatile ball hawk from Virginia, Anthony Harris.
Pros
- Good instincts and football IQ. Lines up the secondary lines up the secondary and is rarely fooled by play fakes.
- Great ball skills and shows a knack for making plays, and trusts his instincts when jumping routes.
- Good height and long arms.
- Versatile safety played single high, two deep, or as a strong safety.
- Plays with controlled aggression.
Cons
- Thin build despite good length. 183 pounds at 6-foot-1.
- Aggressive tackler, but not very good at it. Too often resorts to drag-down tackles.
- Gets hung up on blocking receivers in run support.
Does He Fit With The Giants?
Do the Giants need a safety? Then yes, he does.
Harris is one of a solid half-dozen safeties with starting upside at free safety, but with significant enough warts to keep them out of the first round. He showed legitimate play-making skills as a junior, recording eight interceptions -- the most since Ronde Barber -- to go with 80 tackles. Add to that his versatility and strong mental game, and he could fit what the Giants need in a safety.
Prospect Video
Big Board Rankings
Big Blue View - Not In Top 100
Mocking The Draft - Not In Top 100
CBS Sports - 73rd overall
Draft Countdown - 78th overall
Draft Tek - 76th overall
Final Thoughts
Harris is a talented safety, but he definitely has some issues. He is versatile, and was used in coverage and run support at Virginia. However, he doesn't quite have the athleticism to hold up in man coverage, and he doesn't quite have the girth to be a force in run support. But what he does have is length, a great football IQ, and a quick, decisive first step, so he is always going to be a threat to the offense.
Harris might not be "The Answer" at safety, but some team is going to find a solid contributor, with legitimate starting potential in the third round. If he happens to fall to Day 3, they're getting a steal.