Falcons Rookie Zach Harrison 'Leaps & Bounds' Better After Breakout vs. Panthers

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison had the most productive game of his young career last Sunday - and it came amidst heightened development as the third-round rookie grows closer to reaching his upside.

When Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young looked to his right, his eyes found receiver Adam Thielen, who was closely covered by Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive end Zach Harrison.

Young sprinted to his right, and some three seconds later, was on the ground - with Harrison wrapping him up for a critical 3rd and Goal stand by Atlanta's defense.

Harrison sprung to his feet, lifted his right arm and pointed his index finger to the sky. Teammates hurried to his side, slapping his helmet and congratulating him on the moment.

This was the scene late in the first half of Atlanta's 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers last Sunday, when Harrison logged his first career sack.

It was merely one of several notable feats accomplished by Harrison that day ... but will forever be the most memorable for the 22-year-old.

And perhaps most importantly, it was a rep that's changed his mind set and featured multiple aspects that stood out to Atlanta's coaching staff.

"Now, he’s talking about how he can get another sack," Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray said. "That first one’s always hard to get. When you look at it, he actually hit a guy that was running a route and then ran down a quarterback that’s pretty fast.

"So, he did some stuff that was really good."

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison (96) attempts to get past Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Anton Harrison (77) in the second half during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Harrison played a career-high 29 snaps for a career-best 44 percent of Atlanta's defensive action.

He put his heightened role to good use, tying a career-high with four tackles while logging his first two tackles for loss and second quarterback hit.

The Lewis Center, Ohio, native has played at least 20 snaps in seven of Atlanta's last eight games, carving out a steady role as a rotational edge defender with the ability to drop into small zones if needed.

Harrison's ascent has been an underrated storyline of the Falcons' season, but largely follows exactly as coach Arthur Smith planned this summer.

When Atlanta selected Harrison, a four-year contributor at Ohio State, in the third round of April's draft, it did so knowing the 6-6, 272-pounder was far from a finished product.

Still, Smith and Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot didn't hesitate, trusting defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable and defensive front specialist Lanier Goethie to mold Harrison into the player he's capable of becoming.

There's also the element of Atlanta's defensive line room being filled with veteran presences, as Smith pointed to defensive tackles David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett, defensive end Calais Campbell and outside linebackers Bud Dupree and Lorenzo Carter as valuable leaders for Harrison this summer.

And so, with a strong environment to grow and an increase in snaps against the Panthers, Harrison had all the makings of a breakout showing - and in Smith's eyes, he capitalized.

"He’s done a nice job," Smith said. "Zach being a younger player coming out of a big program and being in a veteran room and the way we wanted to bring him along, every week, he’s a very consistent person. I mean that in the highest compliment. It’s paid off."

Harrison attributed his recent success to executing the techniques he's been coached to do, with Smith echoing similar ideals by praising the strides he's made fundamentally.

With his blend of physical tools, Harrison arrived raw but with a high ceiling. He's steadily growing closer and closer to reaching his potential - and has made substantial progress since arriving for rookie minicamp in May.

"Oh, I think you can see leaps and bounds," Gray said. "When you look at Zach, you can see him growing. He’s a rookie. He’s trying to learn how to take on double teams. He’s trying to do what Ryan and Hux are trying to do in the run game - we want to be physical in the run game."

Harrison's season began with an emphasis on stopping the run. He made strides there and is now having more pass rushing opportunities added to his plate, marking the next step in his natural rookie rise.

"All of a sudden, you’ve got guys coming to the league that want to pass rush. Well, the hardest thing to do is stop the run," Gray said. "Once he got past that, now you can see him like, ‘Okay, I know how to stop the run. I’m long. I can use my arms to get off of blocks and make tackles. Now, the passing game on second and third down, I can go do that.’

"And you can see that he’s actually getting better."

Harrison has played in all 14 games this season, registering 26 total tackles - but was vacant in the sacks and tackles for loss categories entering Carolina.

Still, he's flashed in spurts, and his first career sack was hardly by chance.

With his arrow firmly trending upwards, Harrison appears poised to continue seeing extended action ... and Atlanta's coaching staff has set an optimistic goal it'd like to see accomplished over the final three weeks of the regular season.

"We would love to see him get three or four sacks before the season’s over," Gray said, "because that’s only going to help him grow for the next season."

As for Harrison, his focus is centered on a much smaller scale - the day-to-day tasks that ultimately add up to satisfying his coaches' lofty expectations.

But he's also quick to recognize the growth that's been made, the potential that still exists and the steps he needs to take to get there as his rookie seasons reaches its home stretch.

"I'm definitely getting better every week," Harrison said. "But I've still got a ways to go. There's still - we watched the tape and it's like, 'Dang, Zach, you left so much meat on the bone.'

"But just working every week, trying to get better, trying to do my job, do my part to help the team win."

Harrison, who went 42-6 in college, finds himself in unfamiliar territory as the Falcons sit at 6-8 and on the outside looking in at the playoff picture.

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Sunday's 1 p.m. EST kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) presents an opportunity to rejoin the race - and Harrison, with his role rising as the stakes increase, will have a chance to make an impact.

Harrison's been given the coaching and mentorship needed. Now, it's on him to capitalize - and if he carries his positive momentum forward, there's little doubt he'll do exactly that.

"Coach Nielsen does a good job of coaching us hard and making sure we know our techniques, know the blocks we're going to get and how to defeat those blocks," Harrison said. "Just doing what I was coached to do culminates into making plays."