3 Keys to Success for Will Harris in 2021
Safety Will Harris showed dramatic improvement in 2020 on film, and if he keeps it up, he may very well be one of the two answers for Detroit at safety in 2021.
Experience tells me film does not lie, and boy, am I glad I took the time to watch Harris last season. I am so glad I did not just rely on past impressions, which were not very good.
Harris turned it around a season ago, and from everything I saw, he was much more aggressive, and he gave a much better effort.
For the most part, he consistently brought it, against both the run and the pass.
My hat goes off to Harris. It was one of the rare times I have seen such a dramatic improvement.
Harris consistently attacked runners and the line of scrimmage in run support, and he was much more involved in coverage. Albeit, he was not a playmaker in coverage, but he was a guy who made plays. He often aggressively tackled receivers right after the catch and running backs on screens.
Harris actually looked the part of a third-round pick (drafted in 2019), and he looked like someone the Lions can win with.
Going forward, these are his three keys to success.
Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports
1.) Harris needs to learn the new defensive playbook.
This may sound sort of like a no-brainer, but it is especially true for younger players (Harris is 25 years old).
Every staff has its own terminologies, philosophies and concepts, and Harris needs to dig in and learn them. He needs to know the playbook and the "language" of first-year Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
2.) Harris needs to lock himself in the film room and study.
He needs to study the Lions' upcoming 2021 opponents, and he needs to study the possible on-field matchups he may be seeing.
Studying the New Orleans Saints' 2020 defense would be wise, as well, because that is where Glenn is coming from. Now is the time to get a leg up on the competition and to be as well prepared as possible. Film reveals the little things that can make a big difference.
3.) He needs to be the first one in the building and the last to leave (if he is not already).
Harris needs to focus on making improvements with the same energy and tenacity he attacked backs and receivers with last season.
He needs to try to get as much of new Detroit defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant's time as he possibly can. Sitting down, reviewing film and asking for pointers from Pleasant and Glenn can only help him. It will also endear him to the new coaching staff in Motown.
While Harris needs to realize he is not one of "their guys," taking heed to all of the above could go a long way toward making him one.
If Harris does these three things, it can only help him have another good season in Detroit and further solidify his chances of keeping that starting spot on the depth chart.
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