With the 2020 NFL Draft scheduled this upcoming Thursday through Saturday, the Los Angeles Rams’ draft board is being re-examined, changed and polished for what could be an eventful draft. The Rams could help themselves by looking right in their own backyard at Inglewood native Nick Harris, the former Washington Huskies center. It’s no secret the Rams’ offensive line needs some work, but the team needs to look deeper. It needs to build depth at certain positions, above all, the center position.
College Stats and Honors
2019: Started 13 games at center
Career: Start 42 games at center and guard
Honors: 2019 First-Team All-Pac-12, 2018 First-Team All-Pac-12, 2017 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12
Strengths
Harris is a center by definition because he is not that big at 6-foot-1-inch and 302 pounds. The team that drafts him is going to need him to shore up the middle of their offensive line and blocking schemes.
The good news is despite his size he actually plays bigger. Harris has really good leverage because he is on the shorter side, which allows him to aggressively attack at pad level. He is pretty solid and can drive his blocks back in the run game.
He can easily move around in tight spaces and can pull well with his impressive foot quickness. He is also a great communicator with his offensive line counterparts. He plays with an outstanding amount of grit and determination.
Weaknesses
Despite the 17 games he played at guard for the Huskies, NFL experts and scouts only see him as center eligible and he offers no second-positional value. His length and overall build can be an issue against stronger nose tackles. He has trouble getting downhill with some of those blocks, and rarely can get into the second level. There’s an even greater concern, he tends to grab and hold when he fails to get in a good blocking position. That will be frustrating when he’s flagged and potentially ruins the rhythm of a drive.
Expected Draft Round
Harris has the makings to be a decent back up, who could become a starter some day. Harris ran a 5.1-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine, which scored well among other offensive linemen. His 20 bench press reps at 225 pounds did not register well with graders compared to the rest of the group.
The former Huskies’ draft status ranks him pretty well as he is expected to go late in Day 2 or early in Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
THE CASE FOR THE RAMS
Depending how the early draft picks shake out, and if the Rams can seize on their opportunities with the 52nd and 57th picks, it would be understandable if the team took a long hard look at Harris with their last two picks. Despite the fact experts say otherwise, Harris did play 17 games at guard. That is not an easy task by any means. By picking Harris, they get yet another player who could take some injury snaps at guard, while backing up Austin Blythe at center. As we’ve seen last season, having versatile and good depth at offensive line is crucial.
Stay tuned to RamsTalk.net this week as we cover the NFL Draft and bring you draft analysis via podcasts and articles on our website.
Sources: 247sports.com, Rotoworld.com, NFL.com
You can follow Bob Smith on Twitter @amoresports. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
