Cleveland Browns: Nick Harris in great situation to contribute long-term

The Cleveland Browns may have a long term answer at the center position in Nick Harris.

It was imperative for the Cleveland Browns to revamp their offensive line heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. They made a big move in free agency, securing who many believed to be the top tackle on the market in Jack Conklin.

The Browns weren’t done there, as they selected Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills in the first round, who should make an instant impact. They weren’t finished after that, selecting Washington center Nick Harris in the fifth round at 160 overall.

Harris had an interesting draft process. He was talked up quite a bit during the season as a top senior center in the class, but once the draft process rolled around, there were some question marks surrounding his stock. At the Senior Bowl, he got roughed up in 1-on-1s against some of the more powerful defensive tackles in the class, and many analysts felt like he left the week trending down in terms of stock.

The Browns may have gotten a steal in Harris in the fifth round, and it mostly relates to his scheme fit and abilities for the offense that head coach Kevin Stefanski wants to deploy.

A lot of what Stefanski wants to do starts with the wide (or outside) zone, which is a stretch play designed to have interior linemen cut people off and reach the second level to create big openings. This is something you saw when watching Harris’s film in the fall.

Look at how easy this was for Harris on this rep. He gets out of his stance so quickly and reaches the second level with ease to seal off the linebacker. This will be a staple for Cleveland’s offense and plays to the strengths of Harris.

Harris’ excellent footwork/quickness

Another thing that won’t be a problem for Harris at the next level is keeping defenders in front of him with crisp footwork and great quickness.

Here’s his best rep from the Senior Bowl. He’s out of his stance quickly and keeps Neville Gallimore in front of him.

Does Harris have things to work on? Absolutely. He needs to work on staying low and balanced throughout reps against the bull rush. If his hand placement becomes more consistent, especially with his initial strike, he will improve against bigger defensive tackles.

However, the key traits Nick Harris possesses is the reason that he can contribute long-term for the Cleveland Browns, and make other zone teams look foolish for passing on him.