NFL Draft Profile: Christian Harris, Linebacker, Alabama Crimson Tide

NFL Draft profile scouting report for Alabama linebacker, Christian Harris

The NFL Draft Bible | May 11, 2021

NFL Draft Profile: Christian Harris, Linebacker, Alabama Crimson Tide /

#8
Pos: LB
Ht: 6004
Wt: 226
Hand: 0958
Arm: 3218
Wing: 7668
40: 4.44
Bench: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: N/A
Vert: 34.5
Broad: N/A
DOB: 1/16/01
Eligible: 2022
Baton Rouge, LA
University Lab

Christian Harris
Alabama Crimson Tide

Pros:

Leinweber: Very good athlete accelerates and reaches his good speed quickly making him rangy at the second level. Harris is a communicator on Alabama’s defense, getting teammates lined up and calling out audibles. He is a patient run defender who can scrape and flow fairly reliably. Once he triggers his explosiveness to the ball carrier is apparent. Stacking blocks with his length, he places his hands well and has plenty of functional strength to hold up against bigger opponents. Harris flashes violent hands and upper body strength to disengage. He has his hands ready to take on blocks at all times. His pursuit angles are conservative but get the job done. In coverage, he is very springy and fluid, possessing all the movement skills to succeed in zone or man coverage on tight ends. When blitzing, he is a consistent threat thanks to his burst. Solid open-field tackler.

Cons:

Leinweber: Inconsistent eyes lead to a lack of splash plays in the backfield. Harris can overrun angles when flowing laterally, allowing for cutback lanes. He is not a reliable tackler, getting juked out due to a lack of twitch and often coming in too high. In zone, he does not have the desired instincts, struggling to locate routes behind him and playing with bad spacing at times. Dynamic opponents separate at the top of routes from his man coverage. Blitz timing can be late.

Summary:

Leinweber: Athletically gifted linebacker with explosiveness and length. Harris is a modern-day player able to run cover and blitz. He has the physical traits and leadership qualities coveted. As a tackler, he is not reliable and in space, he lacks desired instincts to be a difference-maker. Harris projects as a future starting inside linebacker, ideally at WILL to take advantage of his movement skills. He has the tools to be special in the future.

Background:

Raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Four-star recruit according to 247Sports. Played wide receiver and safety in high school. Originally planned to attend Texas A&M before flipping to Alabama. Earned a starting role at linebacker as a freshman.