2017 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Charles Harris, EDGE, Missouri

The Missouri Tigers have created a reputation as something of a pass rusher factory. It seems as though every year they are putting a dangerous pass rusher, either an edge rusher or interior rusher, into the NFL. This year, in this stacked edge rusher class, they will be putting another in the League this spring.

Charles Harris had to sit in the pipeline behind Mizzou’s other talented edge rushers, but once he got his chance he terrorized opposing offenses. And while the New York Giants might not necessarily need another front seven player, the board might fall that one of these edge rushers is the best player on the board when they pick at 23rd overall. With that in mind, we should take a look at Charles Harris.

Measurables

Pros

• Versatile player, Harris can play in a 2 or 3-point stance, which gives him schematic flexibility.
• Has a good first step. Fires out of a 3-point stance and can beat blockers before they know what hit them.
• Shows a nasty spin move.
• Disruptive when attacking gaps.
• Good motor. Harris rarely seems to give up on plays.

Cons

• Weak against the run. Too often gets engulfed and overpowered by offensive linemen.
• Lacks elite measurables. Undersized and tested poorly at the combine, which could turn some teams off.
• Has a good first step, but lacks foot speed beyond the first 10 yards or so.
• Doesn’t have bend. Shows some stiffness when he has to use a rip move or bend the edge.
• Struggles to disengage from blockers if his initial rush or move fail.

Does He Fit With The Giants?

Harris does fit with the Giants, but on the condition that it is as a pass rush specialist. With three good offensive lines and running games in the NFC East, run defense needs to be a consideration with any front 7 player the Giants consider drafting. Put simply, that is Harris’ greatest weakness, which limits the number of situations in which the Giants would be able to use him.

However his first step, particularly out of the three point stance at defensive end, is impressive, and something the Giants don’t have at the moment. That in and of itself has value for the Giants, who racked up pressures all season long but struggled to convert them into sacks in the first half of 2016. However, there is also the question of if the Giants could afford to draft a player who might be a “part time” player highly.

Prospect Video

Big Board Rankings

Big Blue View - 27th overall

CBS Sports - 32nd overall

Draft Countdown - 33rd overall

Draft Tek - 31st overall

Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt that based on his film, Harris is a good and disruptive player in college. However, one big question for teams interested in drafting him is how to reconcile his production on the field with his disappointing combine performance. Perhaps he just had a bad day, but going back, some of the things he struggled with at the combine are apparent on tape.

Making matters worse, two of his closer measurable comparisons, Bjoern Werner and Lorenzo Mauldin, have had less than exciting NFL careers. In 64 combined games, they have totaled 13 sacks (6.5 apiece) and 71 tackles. That would be a great season from a single player, but from a combined five seasons by two players, that isn’t the kind of comparison a prospect wants teams to make. But to be fair, Harris is neither of them. He is his own man and player, and nothing is written that he would follow in their footsteps. But still, the concerns remain.

Put in the right system, in the right situations, Harris certainly has the potential to be a disruptive player at the next level.