Pre-Draft
Fantasy Prospect Grade* (out of 50): 47.5
* - How well does his skill set carry over to the fantasy
game? For running backs, a player needs to be a three-down option
as well as a realistic threat for 1,000 rushing yards and 500
receiving yards to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional
scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.
Positives
Harris is a smooth runner that has one of the best blends of fluidity
and power of any running back prospect in recent years. He also
excels or is naturally blessed in many of the areas that coaches
want from their running backs in today's NFL. At 230-plus pounds,
he is built to handle and dish out punishment. The difference with
him is that he is surprisingly quick and elusive for a big back
as well, putting defenders in a serious bind just about every time
they find themselves in a one-on-one situation with him. Harris
lost one fumble over the entirety of his college career (718 touches),
so he is extremely dependable. However, it might be his work as
a receiver that separates him from the majority of big backs. Harris
was charged with only one drop last season en route to 43 catches
- easily the most by an Alabama running back since David Palmer
in 1993. Although he can still refine his technique, his awareness
and willingness in pass protection are developed enough to believe
he will be very good in that area sooner than later.
Negatives
There's not much that Harris struggles to do well, and most of
those minor flaws should be relatively easy to correct over the
next year or two. The biggest knock on his game is a lack of explosive
runs. (Only 25 of his 638 career carries covered more than 20 yards
and only two went for 40-plus.) Harris will occasionally bounce
a run when he might not need to. He didn't run all that many routes
(but typically showed well when he was asked to), although consistently
positive game script and playing on the same team as four recent
or projected first-round talents at receiver probably played a role
in why he didn't get more of a chance to display those talents.
Harris is occasionally guilty of seeking out contact when he would
probably be better served stepping out of bounds. Harris also turned
23 years old in March, which is hardly a bad thing now but means
he will most likely be a one-contract runner - especially if he
is selected in the first round (mandatory four-year contract plus
a team option in the fifth season).
Bottom Line
Matt Forte also is an excellent recent comp for Harris, although
the latter is much more physical in between the tackles. My first
comp for him was a slightly bigger and slightly slower Edgerrin James, which should speak to just how complete of a player he is.
As noted above, Harris is smooth, elusive, powerful, versatile and
dependable. He figures to be a three-down back on the first day
of camp, and it seems pretty clear he
has a singular focus to be great. While his lack of big runs
and slightly advanced age (for a rookie) are decent reasons not
to spend a first-round pick on him, he has the feel of a player
who could be a regular threat for 1,500 scrimmage yards and a lock
for goal-line duties for most of his career. NFL teams are reluctant
to spend a first-round pick on running backs anymore, but Harris
is the one back in this class worthy of being considered an exception
late on Day 1. The California native isn't the same elite back tier
as the likes of Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, but he has
a well-rounded game that could lend itself to a Jackson-like career
if he can improve his speed even just a little bit. Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured
in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He
is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst
on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s
“Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy
Sports Writers Association.
