2020 NFL Draft: Washington IOL Nick Harris scouting report

Scouting Washington interior offensive lineman Nick Harris. He is one of the most interesting players at his position in the 2020 NFL Draft class.

With Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey and Tennessee’s Trey Smith returning to school, the 2020 NFL Draft is getting a little thin on interior offensive linemen. Tyler Biadasz is considered by most to be the top player at the position, but he has his warts as a prospect. There is certainly room for an interior offensive lineman or two to make a significant rise throughout the 2020 NFL draft process and Washington center Nick Harris stands out as an obvious candidate.

Harris is a tough and physical offensive lineman who was a four-year contributor at Washington. He started four out of 14 games at guard as a freshman in 2016 and was the Huskies’ full-time starting right guard in 2017, according to his University of Washington bio. He made the switch to center in 2018 and has been a consistent starter for the team at the position ever since.

Harris was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2018 and 2019. He was also named a second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated for his play in 2019.

Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 302 pounds

Harris’ ability to fire off of the ball quickly in the run game immediately stands out on tape. He shows incredibly quick feet and great overall athleticism for an interior offensive lineman and uses his mobility well to consistently get in position to make his blocks.

As a second-level blocker, Harris is as good as it gets. He is incredibly impressive at blocking on the move, oftentimes mauling linebackers when asked to go to the second level.

Harris is also a smart player who seems to communicate responsibilities with his teammates well. He is a true leader for Washington up front and always seems to get the offensive line responsibilities taken care of. He moves his feet well in pass protection and does a great job of picking up the blitz.

Harris is a mean and nasty offensive lineman who consistently plays through the whistle. He is an extremely high-motor and aggressive player who is always looking to embarrass his opponent. Competitive toughness is legitimately elite.

With an incredible combination of athleticism and toughness up front, Harris has obvious upside as an offensive lineman at the next level. That being said, he is a bit of a small player who does have some issues with pure size on the inside. Harris is an incredible second-level blocker, but when a defense puts a big nose tackle right on top of him, he does struggle to clear him out of the play. His anchor in pass protection is also mediocre.

When Harris has a chance to get some momentum and make a block, he looks like a sure-fire first-round player. He converts his speed to power extremely well and will make some bone-crushing blocks that will get us excited. However, he has some functional strength and size concerns that could hold him back at the next level.

Overall, I like Harris as a starting NFL center as long as his team works to keep him on the move. He is undoubtedly best served for a zone-scheme but could be an asset in a gap scheme if his team works to get him out in space whenever possible. He has obvious strengths and flaws in his games and the team that drafts him must understand that.

Harris is an extremely exciting 2020 NFL draft prospect who could greatly benefit from the lack of depth at his position in the class. I would have a hard time spending a first-round pick on him, but he could bring plenty of value as a second-round selection.