Nick Harris NFL Draft 2020: Scouting Report for Cleveland Browns' Pick

OC5 Nick Harris, Washington

STRENGTHS

—One of the best reach- and movement-blockers in this entire group; smooth in space and has no trouble getting out of his stance in any direction and working for lateral blocks. 

—Has active hands throughout the entire rep and is constantly working to get his hands back inside, where he can win with natural leverage.

—Incredibly bright player who has experience at all three interior spots for Washington; is able to make entire protection calls at the line of scrimmage and diagnose pre- and post-snap fronts and changes.

—Short by NFL standards at 6'1" but uses lateral quickness to get underneath defenders and make angular, positioned blocks.

—Good hand usage in both phases; punch is compact, square and varies placement as necessary.

—Empties the tank on every play and is routinely hustling through the whistle; has to be a grinder to overcome physical limitations, and he accepts the challenge every snap.

Nick Harris Highlights

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WEAKNESSES

—Does not have the kind of play strength and power that teams want to fight heavy pressure; struggled significantly to match power at the Senior Bowl even though he otherwise improved in 2019.

—Body looks underdeveloped, and he carries most of his weight loosely in his midsection; needs time in an NFL strength and conditioning program to put muscle on his limbs and round out his chest. 

—Projects solely as a center in the NFL and does not provide any positional versatility; could be limited in making game-day active rosters without being able to do more.

—Has to build a stronger posterior chain to help him anchor in pass protection; stubby nose tackles will dog-walk him into the quarterback's lap.

—Grabby hands that sometimes get a little lazy to refit; will get called for holding early in his career before it gets corrected. 

OVERALL 

If Harris were a bit stronger and had a slightly different build, we'd be comparing him to Weston Richburg. Richburg had many similar concerns coming out of college, yet he's had a nice NFL career. Harris has to spend time purposefully building out his frame to match the size and strength of NFL interior defenders. The technical aspects to his game are NFL-ready and, if anything, just need a little polish. Don't be shocked if Harris spends his rookie year as a backup before being penciled in as a high-level starter after that. If Harris is this good with almost no functional strength, imagine his ceiling. 

GRADE: 69

PRO COMPARISON: Weston Richburg/Cole Toner