Denver Broncos: Has Chris Harris Become the NFL's Best Cornerback?

The Denver Broncos revamped their defense this offseason. They went after big-name free agents on the defensive side of the ball as soon as they were allowed to. Additions like strong safety T.J. Ward, defensive end DeMarcus Ware and cornerback Aqib Talib have paid off in a big way for the Broncos this season. The Broncos made these moves to upgrade the defense that struggled to stop—or even slow down—the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 48.

A player who missed the Super Bowl and has also been a big-time playmaker (but not a free-agent addition) is fourth-year pro cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

The Broncos picked up Harris as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Kansas in 2011. He made the final roster that season, and Harris initially made his name in the pros as a sub-package player on defense. As a rookie, Harris played in all 16 games (four starts) and finished the season with 60 tackles, six passes defensed, one fumble recovery and one interception.

His second year in the league, Harris started 12 games for the Broncos and he became a fine slot corner. He finished that year with 51 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 12 passes defensed and one fumble recovery.

Harris continued to take his game to another level in 2013. This time, Harris moved to the outside since veteran cornerback Champ Bailey was banged up with a foot injury for most of the year. Harris impressed on the outside, and he even began giving tips to Bailey on how to play slot corner when the future Hall of Fame player came back as a sub-package player late in the year.

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The Broncos were primed to make a deep Super Bowl run when Harris was injured in the playoff victory over the San Diego Chargers in the Divisional Round. Harris was diagnosed with a partially torn left ACL injury. He waited until after the Super Bowl to undergo surgery—and then he began the road to recovery.

Early this offseason, word was spreading around Dove Valley that Harris was ahead of schedule in his recovery. He was limited to one-on-one drills to the side of the practice field as the team went through minicamp and OTAs. The team’s plan was to ease Harris back into action during training camp with an eye on his return for the start of the regular season.

Week 1 of the 2014 season saw Harris in the starting lineup against the Indianapolis Colts. His hard work this offseason had certainly paid off in the recovery process. Other than limiting his snaps just a bit, one would never know what Harris had to go through post-injury.

Broncos head coach John Fox has a theory as to why Harris has been able to recover so quickly.

“I think you go back to the player. I think we have tremendous resources here. Our training staff and our medical staff are tremendous. You need that. There’s great trust there between our players and our medical staff, but really when it comes right down to it, it’s about the player. Like anything, you get out of it what you put into it. He worked very hard along with [LB] Von Miller and a lot of the guys that have fought back from injury.” Fox concluded, “It’s a lot of hard work. That’s what I would go back to. It’s a tribute to Chris Harris and his work ethic.”

Harris competes at a high level on the field, but it’s his film study that also helps make him a standout corner.

Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio praised Harris for the time he puts into his preparation each week.

“Chris is just so competitive. He’s wired in; it’s very important to him. He’s ultra-competitive in everything he does and part of that is preparation. He really understands what’s coming, formations and splits, receiver locations, what they do with different guys—he’s all over it.” Del Rio continued, “He’s working hard at that part and that helps him perform on the field.”

Del Rio knows that things become more natural for a defender when they’re mentally prepared for what’s coming. “For each position with experience and with playing yourself like that in the preparation part of it, you can gain the advantage. Chris has done that with the entire time I’ve been with him here. He’s been one of those guys that works hard at it and understands what he’s seeing.” Del Rio emphasized, “He can process the information and he can recall on Sundays and apply it.”

So is Harris playing like the best corner in football? Let’s take a look at some numbers that could help us determine that answer.

Player Comparison

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Harris is still only about nine months removed from his partially torn ACL injury. It’s simply amazing to remember that fact when looking at the film and the statistical production from Harris in 2014.

Player	Team	Snaps	Tackles	Disrupted Dropbacks
Tramon Williams	Packers	448	35	2.5 percent
Joe Haden	Browns	405	29	.9 percent
Darrelle Revis	Patriots	420	23	1.2 percent
Patrick Peterson	Cardinals	351	13	.4 percent
Chris Harris	Broncos	340	18	2.4 percent

The disrupted dropback percentage (sacks plus passes defensed plus interceptions plus batted balls divided by opponents' dropbacks) is the number to look at here. Harris has played the fewest snaps of this group, yet he has the second-best disrupted dropback percentage. The league average for that advanced stat is only 0.7 percent.

Opposing quarterbacks have learned to stay away from Harris, and he makes them pay if targeted.

As you can see, the numbers for Harris stack up nicely when compared to some of the top corners in the game today. The snap count is lower for Harris, as the team does limit him just a bit. Other than that, he’s certainly in the discussion for at least the top 10 corners if not the top five.

Contract Situation

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Harris was a fantastic find for the Broncos as a college free agent in 2011.

Even with his injury, the Broncos chose to place a second-round tender on the restricted free agent earlier this year. The Broncos were able to sign Harris to a one-year deal that pays him $2.187 million in 2014, but he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2015.

His current salary ranks 53rd among all cornerbacks in terms of annual cap hit. Simply put, Harris is looking at a big payday this offseason.

So how much could his new contract pay him?

Let’s just make the assumption that Harris won’t be the highest-paid corner in terms of annual average salary. He could end up signing a deal that pays him what Tramon Williams is making from the Green Bay Packers.

In 2010, Williams (undrafted like Harris) signed a four-year, $33 million contract with a $10 million signing bonus and an annual average salary of $8.25 million. That contract is now four years old, so the numbers should be tweaked a little higher for Harris.

Summary

The Broncos may not be able to keep Harris in 2015. His high level of play has might price him out of the range the Broncos are able to pay in free agency.

With Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas both set to hit free agency (not to mention Terrance Knighton, Virgil Green, etc.), the Broncos may not have enough money to keep Harris around. It would be sad to see him go, since the Broncos discovered him as an undrafted free agent and Harris has become one of the best cornerbacks in the game.

Harris has worked hard to hone his craft. It’s past time that he was recognized as one of the best corners in the NFL.

I call Harris “Coach Harris” every time I talk to him because he’s the smartest corner in the defensive backfield, and he’s always taking the young corners like Kayvon Webster and Bradley Roby under his wing to give them valuable insight.

The wisdom and savvy that Harris has picked up over the last three seasons is phenomenal. He plays like a player with at least twice that much experience. Harris might not be in Denver next year, but he’s going to be remembered fondly by those he helped guide.

The undrafted free agent has now become the master.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via email from the Denver Broncos unless otherwise noted. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com.