New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft: 3 round Mock Draft 1.0
Round 3, Pick No. 101: Will Harris (S) Boston College
I see the New England Patriots getting local here with their sixth selection in the draft. I seemingly like Will Harris more than most people, but that may just be because I watched him so frequently during his time as an Eagle.
Harris is athletic and is a good all-around coverage safety. A vast majority of safety prospects that are coming out are just hard hitters and lack coverage skills, but Harris is pretty solid at shadowing players coming across the middle. To find safeties that can cover in the third round of the draft is pretty impressive, so I think Harris is useful for that alone.
Harris can do more than just shadow guys though and can tackle very well. He is always hustling to the ball, and really has a great feel for the game. When watching tape he is quite noticeable at all times, and you can never say he doesn’t play the game at 100 percent at all times. Like Joseph, he just has that natural will and aggression while playing, and I think every coach will tell you they love that in a football player.
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The main issues with Harris are that he just lacks NFL instinct. He has all the tools, but has below average play recognition and is not effective in the run game. It is not that he is bad with said things, but he is definitely susceptible to play fakes and fast changes of direction. Harris is not a day-one starter, but he doesn’t need to be.
Both Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty are getting up there in age, and the Patriots are in dire need of grooming a young safety.
Will Harris could learn a lot from these guys, and be groomed into something special. A few years in the system would do wonders, and I think Harris can be the player the New England Patriots wanted Jordan Richards to be for such a long period of time.