Charles Harris Declares for 2017 NFL Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

Missouri's pass-rusher factory is sending another stud to the NFL. Defensive end Charles Harris announced his intention Thursday to enter the 2017 NFL draft, where he may come off the board in the first round.

Missouri head coach Barry Odom spoke on Harris' decision in the program release:

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Charles and I have had a few conversations about his future. I am extremely proud of his approach on a very big decision. Certainly, I wish we could have another year with Charles leading our program, but there's no question in my mind that he's ready for the next level. He knew the time would come to make a decision, but his primary focus was always this team and doing what he could to make himself better and to help his teammates and coaches. Charles was voted as a team captain, which shows the level of competitor he is and the respect he had on this team. We're going to miss him, no doubt, but it's time for him to take his talents to the NFL. We'll be beaming with pride when we turn on the TV on Sundays and see Charles out there representing Mizzou.

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Harris, a redshirt junior, recorded 61 tackles and nine sacks in 2016. He's been a starter each of the last two seasons and was one of the few bright spots during the Tigers' 4-8 campaign.

"I can always get better, always do better," Harris told reporters. "Personally, just taking each play, just keep working at it. Don’t get down on myself, don’t get mad at myself, just try to keep going."

Missouri has quietly become a reliable source of NFL pass-rushing talent. Aldon Smith, Michael Sam, Kony Ealy and Shane Ray have been plucked from the Tigers line since 2011; Harris has a decent chance to join Ray and Smith as first-round selections. 

"Markus Golden, that's my big brother," Harris told reporters over the summer. "Shane, that's my big brother too. We had Michael, we had Kony, you had Markus, you had Shane. They didn't have anyone else to look up to. Now that we already have those guys that's already there in the league who have experience, it's really our duty to take advantage of that." 

ESPN's Todd McShay ranks Harris as the No. 11 prospect in the 2017 class. He's ranked behind only Texas A&M's Myles Garrett and Alabama's Jonathan Allen at the position; Garrett and Allen are arguably the two best players in the draft.

Much like his predecessors at Missouri, size is Harris' biggest knock. He's listed at 6'3" and 260 pounds, which means he's right in that hybrid area between legit defensive end and outside linebacker. It's likely he will try to put on some weight before the combine, and teams will be interested to see if Harris can keep his explosion. 

Smith and Ray were both forced to make a switch to outside linebacker due to size concerns. Ealy has stayed at defensive end but hasn't made much of an impact. 

Harris needs to approach the draft process with a clear position in mind and commit himself.