'We've Noticed Him': Falcons DL Turning Heads in Camp

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons' defensive line entered training camp with several questions, yet as the preseason grows closer, the conversation around the position group has shifted.

Rather than pondering if Atlanta has enough horses in the stable to field a formidable front, the question now is this: Who are the odd men out in a deep room?

Head coach Raheem Morris said Friday the Falcons may go heavy on the defensive line once they trim the roster from 90 players to 53 on Aug. 27. Both Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot have acknowledged the depth Atlanta carries up front and how difficult decision day may ultimately prove to be.

The main reason behind the dramatic change in discussion is a number of surprising training camp standouts, from nose tackle Eddie Goldman to edge defender James Smith-Williams and defensive tackle LaCale London.

But there's another sleeper who Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said he's been "really pleased" with as camp has progressed: Demone Harris.

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Led by the tutelage of outside linebackers coach Jacquies Smith and senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable, the 6-foot-4, 272-pound Harris has received a handful of snaps with the Falcons' first-team defense since pads came on last Tuesday.

"We've noticed him as well," Lake said. "He's played well, he's got a good pass rush force, he's learning the defense, the fundamentals that Jacquies Smith is teaching him and Coach Hux -- you can really start to see all that come alive."

Harris went undrafted out of the University of Buffalo in 2018 before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad but played in two games, making his NFL debut against the Falcons on Oct. 14.

After seeing action in one game in 2019, Harris was released by the Buccaneers in early October. He joined the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad shortly thereafter, and a month later, the Kansas City Chiefs signed him to their active roster.

Harris played in four games with the Chiefs and made the first four tackles of his NFL career, including a pair of tackles of loss. He added a quarterback hit, and in February, he and the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV in a 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The 28-year-old Harris spent the entirety of 2020 in Kansas City but played in just one game, logging three tackles. He re-signed with the Chiefs the following offseason but was cut after the preseason. After re-signing to the practice squad, he saw action in two games but was released in October and finished the year with the Houston Texans.

A one-game taste of action in Houston led Harris to signing a futures deal at the end of the 2021 season. In 2022, he played in three games with the Texans while spending time on both the active roster and practice squad.

Harris signed another futures contract with Houston after the 2022 season but was released in early August 2023. He announced his retirement -- but returned to the sport two weeks later after the Falcons expressed interest.

Atlanta waived Harris during the final round of cuts but re-signed him to the practice squad in mid-September, and he spent the entirety of the campaign on the practice squad. After the Falcons fired head coach Arthur Smith on Jan. 7, Harris signed another futures deal to extend his stay in Atlanta.

And now, with a new defensive staff led by Morris and Lake, Harris appears to be finding his stride -- and making decision day all the more difficult for the Falcons' brass.