Alabama football has sent running back after running back to the NFL Draft. Is Damien Harris the next big name for the Crimson Tides’ list?
He may not have been flashy, but he was strong and dependable. He was Alabama’s workhorse with a deep grouping of backs surrounding him year after year. He put together strong numbers and performances every moment of the four years he was a member of the Crimson Tide- from sitting behind Derrick Henry to being Nick Saban’s go-to guy.
He totaled 3,070 career yards to rank eighth all-time at UA and make him one of just eight backs in program history to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark. Throughout his career, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry on 477 carries for his career to set the Alabama all-time career mark. Harris registered nine 100-yard performances for his career, including two in 2018.
Strengths
Through hard work and dedication, Damien Harris has turned himself into a very well rounded player that will make an NFL team very lucky come Draft weekend. He is a no-nonsense runner that requires a committed effort to be taken down. He has a great feel for space and even better ball security.
Harris works away from traffic and is a very capable pass catcher as well as a running back. It also helps that he shared carries with other running backs, so his wear and tear was down to a minimum.
Weaknesses
His biggest weakness is his lack of elite speed and burst to outrun the speedy linebackers of the NFL. Honestly, much of what he does is considered average by NFL standards and that is going to be a struggle for him as he attempts to break into the league. He isn’t flashy or cute in his runs, he is just a hard-hitting running back who has some very predictable moves.
Draft Expectations
Damien Harris is set to have a good, but not great career in the NFL. It does help that there really aren’t any franchise making running backs in the NFL this year. He isn’t competing with any big names or anything like that and that will help him be drafted quicker than he may have been in a draft full of guys like Zeke Elliott or Todd Gurley. Look for him to be a second day kind of guy.
Prediction: Mid to late Round 2