Lions’ Charles Harris lands spot on Pro Football Network edge rusher ranking

Off a breakthrough campaign last year, Charles Harris has been ranked among the best edge rushers in the NFL by one site.

One of the biggest finds for the Detroit Lions in 2021 was Charles Harris. Teetering on the edge of being declared a first-round bust, if not already there through four NFL seasons, he registered career-highs across the board in his first season as a Lion (7.5 sacks, etc.).

Harris was brought back to Detroit with a two-year deal this offseason. He wants to build on last year’s breakthrough, and he has honed in on finding ways to be even better in 2022. Consistency was a bit of a thing, with his sacks clumped into only a few games.

Harris has gotten some props from outside the building in Detroit this offseason, but a recent ranking of the league’s edge rushers might be the best recognition yet.

Dalton Miller of Pro Football Network has ranked the top-32 edge rushers in the NFL. The usual suspects are at or near the top (Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Nick Bosa, Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack all top-10).

Charles Harris lands spot on PFN edge rusher rankings

Rounding out Miller’s list, at No. 32, is Harris.

"32) Charles Harris, Detroit Lions"

Simply having a place on the list is quite an accomplishment for Harris. If someone had told you a year ago he’d be anywhere close being ranked as a top-32 edge rusher in the league by anyone, let alone actually on such a list, you would’ve said they were crazy. Nothing on his NFL resume pointed to it being in him.

After three failed seasons with the Miami Dolphins and one that wasn’t a whole lot better with the Atlanta Falcons, Harris found a better fit in Detroit with the Lions–be it coaches, scheme, etc. The next step is to show 2021 was a sustainable breakthrough, with even a little better perhaps to come, and not a fluke.