Nick Harris: Looking at what they’ve said about the new Browns right guard
Nick Harris is the new starting right guard for the Cleveland Browns. An ankle injury to Wyatt Teller and a serious knee injury to backup Chris Hubbard have thrust Harris, the Browns’ fifth-round rookie from Washington, into the lineup.
Harris played reasonably well in his debut action at guard against the New York Giants in Week 15. He did allow a sack but generally looked like he belonged.
Now that the move is more than just emergency spot duty–Tretter is expected to miss the final two regular-season games–it’s a good time to look back at the scouting reports and observations on Harris from earlier in his career.
In his immediate post-draft scouting assessment of Harris, Browns Wire’s Josh Keatley offered this assessment,
Harris was named All-PAC-12 in back-to-back seasons after moving to center from guard, but he even played guard at a high level before the transition. At 6-1 and 302 pounds, Harris has fine size and extremely quick feet for his size. He looks for extra work at the second level and has unique lateral movement skills.
Keatley did note this caution: “Harris has an extremely high ceiling, but he does not look like it with an awkward, somewhat sloppy body and short limbs.”
Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire echoed the thoughts of many in his snap reaction to the Browns selecting Harris in the fifth round,
Nick Harris did some of his best stuff on film in the outside zone game. Great fit for Cleveland’s offensive scheme along the line.
— Mark Schofield (@MarkSchofield) April 25, 2020
Looking back at some of the more prominent scouting reports on Harris, who played guard but primarily center at Washington, there was a common theme. Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network (and Dolphins Wire) assessed Harris like this,
For a team in search of an athletic center that thrives pulling and climbing to the second level while employing a zone run scheme, Harris is an exciting option. While he isn’t the most physically dominant run blocker and his anchor can be compromised in pass protection, Harris is highly competitive, technically-sound and his functional mobility is impressive. He may be a scheme-specific prospect, but he has the makings of a starter in the right offense in time.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic echoed those sentiments in his scouting report on Harris, who he projected as a third-round talent,
While he loves to finish and finds a way to stick to blocks, his body type will limit him in certain situations. Overall, Harris is scheme-specific and will be overlooked because he lacks ideal NFL measurables, but he has a terrific blend of smarts, technique and agility with a competitive playing temperament, displaying starter-level traits in a zone-blocking scheme.
We got to see Harris during the broadcasts of the training camp sessions. I noted this on the first day,
With JC Tretter out, fifth-round rookie Nick Harris stepped into the starting center role. His snapping was flawless on the limited camera shots. What stood out for me was a run play to the left where he fired out and quickly got to his assignment at picking off the LB in space. That’s a staple responsibility of the Stefanski offense and the wide-zone blocking scheme.
From the early looks we’ve had at Harris in action in a Browns uniform, it seems the scouting reports were pretty spot-on in terms of his movement ability and lack of length.
