With The First Pick
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2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report: RB Damien Harris

By Ross O'Keefe

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Damien Harris #34 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs with the ball as Kendall Joseph #34 of the Clemson Tigers of the Clemson Tigers defends in the first quarter of the AllState Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Damien Harris #34 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs with the ball as Kendall Joseph #34 of the Clemson Tigers of the Clemson Tigers defends in the first quarter of the AllState Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Floor: Christine Michael

Michael is a good example of a player that had plenty of talent coming out of college but wasn’t quite able to put everything together. It’s very possible Harris could go this route if he doesn’t develop his third down ability and becomes a 2-down back.

Ceiling: Frank Gore

This might be a generous ceiling for Harris but his play-style reminds me a lot of Gore. They have similar body types and share average athletic ability but make up for it with their vision and toughness, along with their usage of leverage. If Harris can maximize his pass blocking and receiving ability and stay healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t share his longevity.

Team Fits: New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles

I believe Harris is the type of back who can thrive in most running-centric schemes and isn’t too scheme specific. That said, while running back isn’t a need for New England, he would be a great fit there. His football intelligence and toughness would be a great fit in the Patriot’s power-running scheme and he just seems like a player they would like. Staying in the AFC East, the Dolphins need competition for an aging Frank Gore(his ceiling ironically), Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage. The Dolphins run a zone-based running scheme that isn’t overly different from the scheme Harris was running with Alabama and he will likely be familiar with it. Provided he’s given a chance, Harris should be able to thrive early in the running game here. The Eagles have the biggest need of the three for a running back an actually make a bit of sense for Harris. Their scheme runs both zone and power concepts which will benefit Harris and provide plenty of carries for him. With Wentz they also run a lot of zone-read concepts that could provide favorable boxes for Harris to run against.

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