Defensive end Charles Harris from Missouri enters tonight’s (April 27) NFL Draft with several teams interested in landing him in the first round.
Various mock drafts have Harris pegged anywhere from 14th to the Philadelphia Eagles to 28th to the Dallas Cowboys.
Rotoworld’s Josh Norris says Harris would be a perfect fit for Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, although it might be a reach for the franchise to use the 14th overall selection.
“I think Charles Harris. (He) is widely, widely loved in the NFL, and we’re catching up to it now. I think that he definitely fits,” Norris wrote.
Harris, who finished with 61 tackles, nine sacks and two forced fumbles, was less productive in 2016 than the previous season, thanks in part to a change in Mizzou’s defensive scheme. The Tigers’ 4-8 record and no bowl appearance also didn’t help his draft stock.
But Harris remains almost a certainty to be selected in the first round – and it could be a blessing in disguise if he falls into the hands of a team that reached the playoffs last year.
The Cowboys are desperate for a difference-making pass rusher, and most mock drafts have owner Jerry Jones and staff narrowing their first pick to Harris, UCLA’s Takkarist McKinley and Wisconsin’s T.J. Watt.
NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock, who could yet end up as the Washington Redskins general manager, said the Cowboys should jump on Harris if he lasts until No. 28.
“Charles Harris, I think, has picked up some steam. I would expect him to be gone before that. But if he was there, I think he’d be a great pick for the Cowboys. In addition to talent, he’s got an awful lot of talent, and he gets in that three-point stance and he goes,” Mayock told the Dallas Morning News.
“He’s a long guy, plays hard, got a great work ethic. He’s really good off the field, high-character guy. If Charles Harris was there, I think he’d make a ton of sense.”
Peter King of Sports Illustrated has Harris going to the Cowboys, telling Yahoo Sports, “(There is) lots of interest in Harris late in round. Late bloomer, has played football just five years.”
CBS Sports Rob Rang says, “Harris has the burst, bend and lethal spin move to wreak havoc off the edge and, after only joining the sport as a junior in high school, he has the upside for (Cowboys) defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to develop.”
USA TODAY’s Nate Davis said the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could throw a wrench in the Cowboys’ plan by taking Harris at No. 19.
“If they want to ramp up the pressure in a division full of special quarterbacks, they’ll have to spend their top pick to get a difference maker. Harris could establish a pick-your-poison dilemma for offenses that generally focus on deleting Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy,” Davis said.
NBS’s Chris Collinsworth and the NFL Network’s Steve Mariucci have Harris headed to Detroit.
According to Collinsworth, “The Lions need more from their rush, and Charles Harris from Missouri is a great fit. This former basketball player has a beautiful spin move that looks effortless. He recorded just a 4.8-second 40-yard dash, but he plays fast and gets consistent hits on the quarterback.”
Mariucci, a former Lions head coach, said, “The guy I like? Charles Harris from Missouri.”
“(Mizzou has) got a pipeline to the NFL of pass rushers. Harris’ nickname is ‘Black Ice.’ I asked, ‘Why do they call you ‘Black Ice?’ He said, ‘Because by the time they see you, it’s too late.'”
Wizards’ sudden woes
After racing to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series against the Atlanta Hawks, the Washington Wizards looked like the team that many people (me included) picked to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Eastern Conference finals.
With the series tied at two heading back to Washington, guard Bradley Beal sounded frustrated on Monday.
“It was just too up and down,” Beal said Monday night after scoring 32 points in a 111-101 loss.
“You spend all your time and energy trying to play catch-up, and then you can’t finish in the fourth quarter.”
The Wizards built a true home-court advantage throughout the season, and Beal is hoping that re-energizes his team.
“We’re 2-2 right now. We move on. We have home court right now,” Beal said. “So, we’re going to protect our house and come back here more focused for Game 6.”
That game was scheduled for Wednesday night – so Beal is either headed to Atlanta with a chance to close out the Hawks or the thought of being sent home for the summer himself.
Subban, Preds in St. Louis
P.K. Subban and the Nashville Predators were not supposed to beat the mighty Chicago Blackhawks in a first-round series of the NHL Playoffs. Ryan Reaves and the St. Louis Blues were supposed to be spectators after their series with the favored Minnesota Wild.
Subban and Reaves, two of the NHL’s star players of color, played integral roles in their team’s respective upsets and are now squaring off in a second-round series that started Wednesday night in St. Louis.
While Subban is focused on the Blues, he certainly felt some satisfaction when the Montreal Canadiens were eliminated from the playoffs by the New York Rangers last week.
The Canadiens traded Subban to Nashville for 31-year-old Shea Weber last summer and the team didn’t have a lot of glowing praise for their departing star.
Chris Oddo, a noted NHL expert, wrote after the respective first-round upsets, “The Canadiens, touting a win-now philosophy and seeking a definitive change of tone in their dressing room, shipped out electric talent and fan favorite P.K. Subban for stay-home, rocket-blasting defenseman Shea Weber last summer.
“Subban was brilliant in his first playoff series with the Predators, putting up the highest (defensive rating) percentage among Nashville’s fleet-footed defense corps. He registered two points and was a plus-4 in the Predators sweep of the top-seeded Blackhawks. Nashville’s still in the hunt for the Cup while the Canadiens are cleaning out their lockers and licking their wounds.”
Alvin A. Reid is a panelist on the Nine Network program, Donnybrook and appears on ABC’s The Allman Report and several sports radio shows, including Frank Cusumano’s “The Press Box” on KFNS. His Twitter handle is @aareid1.
