Projecting Damien Harris' role within Patriots offense
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots selection of Damien Harris in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft left a lot of Pats fans feeling confused. Many of the reactions seen twitter went mostly like this: "Why would they select a running back when they just selected Sony Michel in the first round the year prior? What happens to Rex Burkhead? Why on earth haven't they selected a tight end yet?"
Let's hash through some of these concerns.
There are a few answers as to why the Patriots selected Harris just a year after drafting Michel. The main reason comes down to Michel's health. It wasn't a secret that knee injuries were a concern for the former Georgia running back leading up to the 2018 draft. They proved to be a concern for good reason as Michel missed three games due to knee issues in the 2018 season.
Fighting through a knee injury, Michel still managed to rush for 1,267 yards and 12 touchdowns on 280 carries (including postseason). New England does not want Michel nearing 300 carries in consecutive seasons as he was already forced to miss this year's mini-camp after reportedly receiving a knee scope.
Michel wasn't the only running back to catch the injury bug this past season. Jeremey Hill tore his ACL in the season opener against the Houston Texans, causing him to miss the entire 2018 season; Burkhead missed just about half the season due to a neck injury. These injuries forced wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson into the backfield to take some of the load off of Michel and James White. The Patriots drafted Harris to avoid a similar situation in 2019.
Because of the number of injuries we are seeing at the running back position today, the days of a bell cow running back receiving 25-30 carries a game are coming to an end. New England reinforced this sentiment with Michel as the rookie only received 25+ carries once in the 2018 season. If you want to compare Michel to other presumed "bell cows" around the league, rookie phenom Saquon Barkley only averaged 16.3 carries a game in 2018. Teams are now opting for running backs by committee to help limit the number of injuries at the position and to keep their players fresh. Because of this, teams are beginning to value durability even more than they did in previous seasons.
Photo by Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
If you are looking for a durable, productive runningback then look no further than Harris. The former Alabama running back was active for 54 of a possible 59 games in his collegiate career and didn't miss one game from his sophomore to senior season. Over the course of his four-year career, Harris rushed for 3,070 yards and 23 touchdowns on an outstanding 6.4 YPC. His receiving production did not pick up until his senior season when he caught 22 balls for 204 yards. Harris' senior season helped prove he can be a valued asset in the passing game running screens and flat/swing routes out of the backfield.
Harris' greatest strength is his ability to patiently wait for his blocks to set up and find the open running lane. Some running backs hit the hole before the play has time to develop. Not Harris. His vision was regarded as one of the best in this year's running back class which makes him a perfect fit in New England's zone running scheme.
Harris' vision is not just limited to when he has the ball. He also has a great ability in identifying blitzing linebackers and meet them in the hole. His strong base gives him the option of taking linebackers up high or cut blocking them through their thigh board. Linebackers are slower in their blitzes when attacking Harris because they are stuck guessing whether he will take them high or low. That alone should make Tom Brady feel comfortable with Harris beside him in the backfield.
Given his ability as a pass protector don't be surprised to see Harris on the field early in his rookie campaign.
Conclusion
Harris is a true north-south runner who has the physicality you love to see in a three-down running back. To answer the question about Rex Burkhead's job security: you shouldn't expect to see him going anywhere. New England needs all the help they can get at the running back position after experiencing the depth issues they did this past season. After adding Harris, the Patriots may have the deepest running back groups in the NFL.
Early reports out of Foxborough suggest that Harris looked excellent in OTAs. With the absence of Michel, Harris got a lot of time with the first-team offense which bodes well for a rookie trying to nail down the playbook. While OTAs may not mean much since the players don't wear pads, Harris' route running looked better than advertised.
In regards to Harris' role in 2019, expect him to immediately contribute on special teams. On offense, Harris will likely be on the field anywhere between 15-25 snaps a game. That's if all running backs are presumably healthy. With Michel's knee issues that could be a big if.
If Michel does happen to go down with an injury, Patriots fans should not fret because Harris is more than capable to produce in his absence. The two-time national champion knows how to win and has the potential to be a starting running back in this league for years to come.
If you want to see how Harris looks live in action, here are some of his college highlights to take you into the weekend:
