While we all hope that it will be a few more weeks before we have to get hard and heavy into talking about the 2017 NFL Draft, I thought that today I would wet your whistle a little bit and let you know who Mel Kiper Jr. has the Pittsburgh Steelers taking in the first round of his first mock of the offseason.
Kiper, who has the Steelers picking 30th overall in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, mocked Missouri edge rusher Charles Harris to Pittsburgh with that selection and here is what he wrote about him.
“Harris had an up-and-down 2016 with nine sacks and two forced fumbles, but his ceiling his high. In this scenario, Harris (6-3, 255) would be an outside linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4, but he could play end in a 4-3 or even move inside to rush the passer from a tackle spot. Pass-rushers Jarvis Jones (a 2013 first-round pick) and James Harrison (who turns 39 this summer) will be free agents.”
The Steelers will more than likely be looking for another outside linebacker or two in this year’s draft and I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt many Steelers’ fans feelings if they spent their first-round selection on one.
Harris, who announced he will forgo his senior season and declare for the 2017 NFL Draft in December, registered 136 total tackles in the 37 games that he played in at Missouri and 18 total sacks. He was also credited with 34.5 tackles for loss.
ESPN.com has Harris listed at 6027 and 255-pounds so it will be interesting to see how closely that matches to his 2017 NFL Scouting Combine measurements in February.
We’ll have a full scouting report of Harris in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, here’s is what Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has on Harris and below is a highlight tape of the Missouri product.
