Detroit Lions Draft Prospects: Brandon Harris
By Zac Snyder
We continue our look the players featured in the five round mock draft for the Detroit Lions from NFL Mocks with the player they believe the Lions will select with their first round pick: Miami (FL) cornerback Brandon Harris.
The Measurables:
Height: 5-10
Weight: 195
40-yard dash: 4.45
Cornerback can be a tough position to predict, anyone that remembers former Lions first round picks Bryant Westbrook and Terry Fair can attest to that. That means we should expect a lot of variability in the various opinions regarding cornerback prospects. That is certainly the case this year, especially with Brandon Harris.
ESPN and CBS Sports like Brandon Harris as the fourth rated cornerback and list him as a first or second round pick. The Sporting News isn’t quite as impressed and have rated Harris as the 13th best cornerback in the draft. On the flip side, the National Football Post loves what Harris can do and rate him second behind only Patrick Peterson.
As the clear outlier in the group, here is what the Sporting News says in their bottom line:
"Harris started at corner for the Hurricanes over the last two-and-a-half years, but looks to have limited growth potential to develop at the next level. He has good career production in knocking balls down, but only four career interceptions. Overall, he deserves solid fourth-round draft consideration by a team looking for a backup corner with the ability to compete for a starting role down the road."
By contrast, the National Football Post notes that all the traits of a great corner are present in Harris:
"Needs to polish up his footwork a bit, especially closer to the line of scrimmage. But the natural fluidity, body control and make-up speed is there for him to mature into a very good starting corner in the NFL."
Pro Football Weekly rates Brandon Harris as the third corner in the draft behind Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara. Check out their video featuring Harris:
Combine Profile: Brandon Harris by LocalNews-GrabNetworks
With the First Pick offers the following in-depth scouting report:
Instincts/Recognition:
"Shows superb instincts in the both pass defense and run defense. Does a good job of reading the quarterbacks eyes. Understands route combinations. Tracks the ball well, and gets his head around on deep throws. Recognizes the run quickly and attacks it down hill."
Cover Skills:
"Is comfortable in both man and zone coverage. Is slight better in man. Does a good job of sticking to receivers hips. Has quick feet and good balance. Above average athleticism allows him to sink his hips, turn and run on double moves and jerk routes. Has good speed and quickness. Needs to do a better job of staying low throughout his back pedal. Plays physical. Can step up to the line of scrimmage and play press coverage."
Ball Skills:
"Puts up more PBU’s than interceptions. Teams rarely threw his way in college. Does show good hands when the ball comes his way. Can extend his arms and use his hands to make the interception. Times his jumps perfectly and attacks the ball. Very good at jarring the ball loose right when a receiver catches it. Gets his head around quickly and tracks the deep ball well."
Run Support:
"Very solid against the run. Can break away from receiver blocks, and use his athleticism to run around or under cut linemen blocks. Isn’t the most physical tackler, but rarely fails to bring the ball carrier to the ground. Keeps containment to his side well, forcing the action back to the inside."
Intangibles:
"2010 All-ACC 2nd Team. Passionate football player. Shows good mental and physical toughness. Tim Harris, was named USA Today National High School Coach of the Year in 2007."
Overall Stock:
"You can’t look at Brandon Harris’s numbers and get an understanding of how good he is. Teams rarely threw his way. What you can do is, turn on the tape and watch him lock receivers down. Harris has a good combination of size, speed and quickness. He can defend receivers of all size. He started off the season as an early second round prospect, but has creeped his way into first round consideration. Lots of teams picking in the back half of the draft are in need of a cornerback. Right now, Harris is rated as the third best and I think he will for sure be a first round pick."
The Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClHSQML1sew
This pick may not be as well received by the fan bases because Harris hasn’t consistently been regarded as worth of the 13th overall pick. Some say he deserves it, some say he doesn’t. What do you say, Lions fans?
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