DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2020 NFL Season 2020 NFL Draft Browns select C Nick Harris with the 160th pick

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Good pick for a zone scheme.

Nick Harris in that Stefanski zone scheme is MONEY. All about fit for him and he just landed with the perfect team.

https://twitter.com/CDonnick3/status/1254119897333813248

Great value in the 5th round here.

It's interesting that our strategy has played out position wise with how many of us mocked it up ( at least position wise ).

OL, S, DL, LB, TE/WR, OL.

I am very happy with our picks overall at this point in the draft.

Good fit for zone scheme.

Dane Brugler had a 3rd round grade on him and rated as his fourth best center.

From PFF's draft guide...

Will he ever be a decent NFL Starter yes or no.

It is a late round Center. At least they got a body,

Tell me he's not a starter, unless he has a mean streak.

What I mean is, somebody tell me this dude isn't going to start unless Can.

Seems pretty good value to me. He really seems to fit what our new scheme is. I really like his experience and if JC gets an injury, we should be fine.

I wonder if he could work at RG, or maybe take over at C and we move Tretter to RG?

Eh, 5th rounder - he's lucky to be a backup, but it is fun to think about possibilities.

Back. Up line help. I’ll take it

Meet Nick Harris, Washington's anchor on the offensive line

https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2020/02/29/nfl-draft-2020-prospects-nick-harris-washington-interview/


Experience, intelligence, athleticism. These are all traits that make a successful offensive line prospect, and things that all 32 NFL teams are looking for in this year’s draft.

They’ll find them all in Washington’s Nick Harris.

A battle-tested blocker with experience at every interior offensive line position, Harris recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his ability to play multiple spots, the leadership ability of Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason, and what kind of impact he’ll have at the next level.

JM: You’re an experienced starting center, and you really were the leader of that Washington offensive line. How does that experience serve you well going forward?
NH: Experience is never a bad thing and I have a lot of it. We played against some of the best defenses in the nation and I’ve played against some of the best interior defensive linemen in the nation. It certainly gives me an edge to compete at the next level. I embraced a leadership role at Washington. That will go a long way for me as well. I have the experience teams are looking for at the next level.

JM: Speaking of those linemen, who are some of the best interior defensive linemen you’ve squared off with?
NH: The first people that come to mind are the guys that we’ve had at Washington throughout my time there. We’ve been blessed with so many quality defensive linemen. Guys like Vita Vea, Greg Gaines, Elijah Qualls and Shane Bowman. All of those guys have serious NFL talent and I had to go up against them every single day. Regarding our opponents, you had guys like Leki Fotu from Utah. I played against Derrick Brown from Auburn during my junior year. The defensive tackles at USC are so solid. We had to play against a lot of talented guys that will definitely be playing on Sunday’s.

JM: What do you enjoy about playing center?
NH: I mostly just enjoy being in the middle of it all. It fits my personality. I’m an outgoing guy. I’m an excellent communicator. I’m not afraid to talk to anyone. I love the responsibility that comes with playing the position. I love being able to use my football I.Q. as a trait. You definitely have to have a high football I.Q. to play the position. I love the game of football and I have a great understanding of things. I love using that to my advantage as a center.

JM: You spent most of your time at center over the past few years, but you’ve played some left and right guard, as well. Do you think it makes the most sense for your pro team to keep you at center at the next level?
NH: I would say so, yes. I’m capable of playing anywhere inside though. I played my first two years at Washington at left and right guard, just like you said. There’s no telling how much better I would have gotten at guard if I had stayed there. I love playing on the interior. I’ll play anywhere that my team needs me to play for sure.

JM: Is there a scheme that you prefer or maybe that you’re more comfortable in?
NH: I would like to play in an offense that uses my play style to my advantage. I enjoy blocking on the second level. I love using my athleticism to create an advantage for myself. I enjoy the different wide zone concepts, a lot of downfield stuff. That definitely suits me best. With that said, we did a little bit of everything at Washington. I played in a multiple offense. We did everything. I’m definitely capable of playing in any kind of offense.



JM: You were also at the Senior Bowl. Who were some of the best pass rushers you saw down there?
NH: I mostly went up against the interior defensive linemen down there. I thought that Davon Hamilton from Ohio State was a good defensive tackle. He’s a strong guy with powerful hands. Jason Strowbridge from North Carolina was pretty good, too. He was quick and he had really good hands. All of the guys down there were solid, but those two stuck out to me the most.

JM: What’s your favorite way to demoralize your opponent?
NH: My personal favorite way, I mean every offensive linemen loves to dominate. I actually enjoy the mental aspect of it more. I like winning the psychological battle in the trenches. That’s something I take pride in. I like chirping them, I like getting chippy. I think that takes a toll on a defensive linemen throughout the game. Everybody says that I’m a little undersized. I don’t believe I am but that’s what they say. You gotta use anything you can to gain the upper hand.

JM: Do you have a preferred pass set, and do you vary that throughout the course of a game?
NH: Yeah, I personally like pass setting different players differently. It’s important that I keep them on their toes. I don’t want them to get used to how I’m pass setting. That’s how you become predictable. If I’m up against a quicker guy, I like to set right on the ball, a quick little set. That allows me to stop their rush rather quickly. I would say the same for the bull rush guys just so they don’t get momentum right off the snap. I like switching it up though. You have to throw them off throughout the game.


JM: What can you tell me about Jacob Eason the man, the leader, and the quarterback?
NH: He came on so strong for us this year. He definitely took on a leadership role. A lot of people don’t think that he did that but I can tell you firsthand that he did. We relied on him a lot this year. As the quarterback in our offense, he was obviously the face of our offense. Somebody had to grow into that role following the departure of Jake Browning and Jacob definitely did that. The talent is there, man. He loves football and he loves being around the guys. He was a hell of a leader for us. I enjoyed watching him grow over these past two years. The ceiling is incredibly high for him at the next level because he loves football.

JM: What kind of impact is Nick Harris going to make at the next level?
NH: I’m gonna bring a different energy to a team, an energy that people can feed off of. I’m definitely gonna embrace a leadership role. People feed off of that. I’m just gonna bring a competitive edge to the locker room. I want people to see it. I wanna compete with my teammates day in, day out. Those are the things I’m gonna bring with me to the next level.

j/c.... likely a Tretter replacement.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/j.c.-tretter-12403/

There is a potential out in 2021 with Tretter. So, this is likely the planning ahead move to backfill should we need the cap space.

If you can read the very small print above in Brugler's write-up ... under Strengths it says "experienced at Center and both Guard spots.". So maybe some help, or at least depth, at RG.

If Nick Harris was 6'3, he'd have been near a first round pick. Harris is a spark plug. He's fun to watch. @Browns drafted a good one in the 5th round

@GeoffSchwartz

building depth on the Oline, that is a good thing.

Right click on image.

Click view image.

Love this guy's attitude, high character guy, accomplished for his body size....a dog on field, wants to excell.....love the pick....GO Browns!!! Starter someday, time will tell.

Thanks - luckily enough, I can still read small print without glasses, even at my advanced age.

Would have preferred some more defensive backfield help but I’ll never fault them for bolstering OL depth. Plus the middle rounds are where you get your interior OL. Sounds like he still has some upside and isn’t likely to be deployed this year unless he’s in the mix at RG. Fine.

I'd say it's even more likely after the 2021 season where releasing Tretter would only count $1.625M against the cap and save $8.25M.

Two year grooming period.

Sounds like a great pick .. for scheme fit, depth, future, youth, etc. Well done

seems like a good late round value pick... OL depth... sounds like he can cover Center or RG.

I’m interested in him as the RG until Tretter is gone

I think this is a great value pick (he was a 3rd / 4th round projection by most sites I read) and I think he starts for us sooner than we anticipate. I think he fell as he doesn't have the length you'd like but the cat fits a zone scheme like a glove. He's also, as above posts, a leader - we've solidified our OL for years with the draft picks we've made.

You bring up a good point: it seems like we haven’t drafted many unmotivated/jerk type players. No character red flags

From The Draft Network - https://thedraftnetwork.com/prospect-rankings

It would be great if the drama train went past The Land for a change. Somebody else can entertain The Media Circus and Sideshow this year. The picks seem solid.

Versatile C/G backup that could push to start at right guard.

I saw a lot of hype with Harris being a round 2 or 3 guy...So a really nice pick up here (Heck I thought he was already drafted) Like many have mentioned, we have not depth inside...specially behind Trotter...so this def. helps...As mentioned by some, seems like he fits our scheme well...and can potentially aid at both C and RG.

Could be nice to not have to play Tretter on a bum ankle so he can actually take time off to get back healthy or just manage reps.

I wonder how many OL we are going to carry. What's the roster limit now? Did they actually bump it up or just discuss it?

Center is overlooked.

It is a key position. One that requires a unique skill set.

He may not be a Pouncey, but not many are. He could be Mike Babb good.

Good Pick.

The new CBA requires teams to have (at least) 8 OL active on gamedays.

8/45?

Active gameday rosters so to 48 in the new CBA.