Falcons Rookie Zach Harrison Shaking Project Label as Training Camp Star

Even before his dominating first rep in pads, Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive end Zach Harrison has impressed those around him ... and his recent play, when paired with his tremendous upside, has created noticeable buzz in Flowery Branch.

Zach Harrison trotted onto the field and took his place at left defensive end. He dropped into a four-point stance, became set, and exploded off the line of scrimmage.

Some four seconds later, the Atlanta Falcons' third-round pick was back on the ground, this time after bulldozing right tackle Tyler Vrabel onto his back in a one-on-one rep that has since gone viral.

Zach Harrison with a dominant first rep in pads at #Falcons camp. Huge eruption from the defense. pic.twitter.com/td3co1hvFq

— Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) July 31, 2023

Perhaps most impressive, the rep was Harrison's first in pads as a professional, which was quite the introduction to the sport's highest level.

But there's more to the dynamic - Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen knew Harrison had the power potential to do something like that. He relayed the message and hammered home a few coaching points, and Harrison did the rest, driving through Vrabel to make a loud statement: he belongs.

"Ryan talked to him about that, and just actually seeing him out there and execute it and actually seeing it work, I feel that builds self confidence in a player, especially at such an early time in their careers," veteran defensive tackle David Onyemata said.

And so, while all of the attention on Harrison's highlight reel play was, rightfully, on the actual result, not to be lost is the coachability and success of the process behind the scenes that fostered such an on-field display.

This is one of many reasons the Falcons are so high on the 21-year-old Harrison, who coach Arthur Smith singled out as a standout rookie prior to pads coming on and then had his initial beliefs re-affirmed almost immediately thereafter.

Throughout training camp, Harrison had a consistent presence in the backfield against Atlanta's reserve offensive line, often generating pressure and recording several would-be sacks.

That trend continued during the Falcons' joint practices with the Miami Dolphins this week, as Harrison was a notable standout each day by doing many of the same things he's done in Flowery Branch, starting with frequently beating his offensive lineman.

But the most encouraging part about Harrison is that this is truly just the beginning, both in terms of career arc and projection, with Smith stressing how excited he and the rest of Atlanta's staff is about the 6-6, 272-pounder's long-term future.

“He’s got, like a lot of guys we’ve kind of invested in early, he’s got a lot of room to develop," Smith told SI's Falcon Report. "He’s got so much growth potential. And then, he’s in a really good room with a really good developmental coach, that there’s not all this pressure, so we can build him up the right way.

"Now, if he’s ready to roll Week 1 and needs to start, he’ll do that. But the signs are encouraging."

Smith noted that Harrison, who played all four years at Ohio State, didn't take any additional years in college and isn't an older rookie, which significantly lifts his ceiling.

But it's important to recognize the growth that Harrison's undergone in the three and a half months since he was selected in April's draft - after making the pick, Smith and staff often talked about the longer-term picture, with Week 1 starts not even a part of the conversation for a player largely viewed as a project in need of redshirting.

Fast forward to the present, and Harrison's eye-opening camp has made Smith feel comfortable that he's ready for the opportunity should it arise.

That being said, Atlanta's third-year coach remains heavily invested in Harrison's future, and he's extremely confident in the coaching staff put in place to guide his development, with Nielsen, defensive line coach Lanier Goethie and defensive assistant Dave Huxtable forming a potent trio up front.

There's also the veteran-laden room around Harrison; at various points this offseason, Smith has singled out Onyemata, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, defensive end Calais Campbell and outside linebackers Lorenzo Carter and Bud Dupree as valuable leaders who can help shape Harrison.

With Dupree in particular, Smith noted there are similarities in the power profile that have already come up in training camp, giving Harrison a direct line of contact to finetune a budding area of his game.

And so far, Harrison has utilized all of the helpful presences around him; he's not only absorbing the lessons being thrown his way but quickly implementing them into his skill set, leading to the highlight reel reps and constant praise.

"Zach's been great," Onyemata said. "Just actually coming in as a rookie and taking advantage of his opportunities. I feel like he goes in every day with the intent to learn. There's certain things Ryan talks about in the d-line room, and we watch the techniques and fundamentals, and he comes out here the next day working on that.

"It's great to see that from young a guy, and see him improve day-in, day-out."

On a broader scale, Harrison is fast ascending. That said, Smith noted his progress will be "up and down," but his youth, surrounding environment and room for growth potential have the Falcons very optimistic about what's to come.

For Smith, the most important aspect of Harrison's training camp stardom hasn't necessarily been the traits; instead, it's what Onyemata pointed out - his innate ability to take coaching and show immediate results, fully capitalizing on that strong supporting cast.

"Just the fundamentals and techniques, down after down, (he) makes a mistake, comes back and actually corrects it - those are the kind of things you see," Smith said.

Now, the Falcons hope to see Harrison continue along this trajectory throughout the preseason, which begins at 7 p.m. EST on Friday night in Miami - but the idea remains clear: he's a physically impressive young player with all of the ingredients needed to succeed.

And if Harrison's star-studded training camp has shown one thing, it's that he's more than ready to seize the opportunity at hand ... and create many more highlight reel pass rush reps along the way.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @ByDanielFlick

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