Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Shelby Harris

After whiffing on signing him in 2016, the Seahawks rectified that by bringing Harris over as part of the Russell Wilson trade to man one of the defensive end positions in the new 3-4 defense.

Ted Zahn | Jul 19, 2022

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs wrapped up across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the NFL in less than a month's time. To celebrate the new incoming season, the All Seahawks staff will be breaking down the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2022 campaign.

Shelby Harris, Defensive End

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 288 pounds

2021 Stats: 23 tackles, 6.0 sacks, one forced fumble

Originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Raiders, Harris has followed a circuitous route to regular playing time in the NFL. He spent most of his time with Oakland on the practice squad but saw action in eight games in 2014 and 2015. Harris was released by the Raiders in the 2016 offseason and was signed by the Jets. He was waived at the end of training camp, spending much of the 2016 season trying to catch on with a team – including the Seahawks, who brought Harris in for a visit. He would eventually sign to the Cowboys practice squad for the last few games of the regular season before they released him in January 2017. Harris finally received a shot at regular playing time with the Broncos during the 2017 season and broke out with 5.5 sacks. He took a step back statistically in 2018 with only 1.5 sacks but re-emerged as a consistent threat with the Broncos in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense from 2019-2021 when he recorded 14.5 combined sacks. His familiarity with Fangio’s scheme – which new Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt coached in Chicago in 2015 and 2016 – was a key reason that Seattle brought him over in the Russell Wilson trade with the Broncos.

Best Case Scenario: Settling into a familiar role in 3-tech and 4i-tech alignment, Harris utilizes his quickness and motor to set a single-season career high with 6.5 sacks in Clint Hurtt’s 3-4 defense.

Worst Case Scenario: Following a career trend of good sack production every other year, Harris only records 2.0 sacks in his first season with the Seahawks despite starting all 17 games.

What to Expect in 2022: Drew Lock, Noah Fant, and the boatload of draft picks from the Broncos received most of the headlines in the Russell Wilson trade, but Harris is an underrated part of that deal. His experience and production in Denver’s 3-4 defense will be a boon to the Seahawks as they transition to a similar scheme. Harris is an excellent fit at 3-4 defensive end, where he will likely step right in as a starter alongside fellow defensive linemen Al Woods and Poona Ford. He has good initial quickness and pop, but arguably his best trait is his relentless motor. Harris never gives up on a play and has plenty of moments on tape where he fights off an initial block, sticks with the play, and makes the tackle downfield. Over his five years in Denver, Harris racked up 203 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 44 quarterback hits and 21.5 sacks. He will be expected to bring that production with him to Seattle as well as lead by example as the Seahawks employ a new defense in 2022.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles

Published Jul 19, 2022

TED ZAHN