From now until the 2021 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to showcase as many prospects as possible and examine both their strengths and weaknesses. Most of these profiles will feature individuals that the Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to have an interest in, while a few others will be top-ranked players. If there is a player you would like us to analyze, let us know in the comments below.
#27 Pressley Harvin III/P Georgia Tech – 5110, 263 lbs.
The Good
– Punted and played in NFL-type scheme, traditional style punter
– Plus hand size (9 3/8″)
– Quick operation, strong snap to punt times, gets punt away quickly
– Good hands, consistently catches the football cleanly
– Experience as a holder on field goals
– Flashes excellent hangtime numbers
– Shows good leg strength, able to boot 50+ yards (not including roll/bounce)
– Steady progression, best season came in 2020
– Has ability to throw on fakes, threw TD in college
The Bad
– Unusual, stocky build, probably should drop weight for the NFL
– Inconsistent punter, tendency to shank too many kicks
– Only one year of elite production
– Low percentage of punts were downed inside the 20 (32.3%, 68/210), number did increase to 40% senior season
– Didn’t get to play in any All-Star games (invited to NFLPA Game but in-person game wasn’t held)
Bio
– Four-year starter for Yellow Jackets
– Career: 210 punts, 44.7 yard average
– 2020: 45 punts, 48 yard average (#1 in NCAA)
– Right-footed punter
– 2020 Ray Guy Award Winner (nation’s best punter), consensus All-American
– Threw three career passes, completed 41-yard TD in 2019
– Three-star recruit out of high school
– Four-year letter winner in track in high school as a thrower (shot put)
Tape Breakdown
Georgia Tech’s Pressley Harvin III is the second punter we’re breaking down, after our report on Kentucky’s Max Duffy. Though they play the same position, they’re two pretty different punters to watch. One difference is their body type. Duffy is the prototypical, slender specialist. Harvin has a very unique body type, a legitimate 5’11”, 263 pounds. He said that growing up, coaches thought he was a linebacker or some other position than punter. But Harvin’s been kicking all his life, from high school through college.
Harvin also punted much more traditionally. He played in a “pro style” of punting, a more traditional, NFL formation with a normal operation. Harvin did do more rugby style punting earlier in his Georgia Tech career, but you see much more of the “spiral punting” on his tape. And that produced some good numbers.
As I wrote in the previous punting report, the snap-to-punt times are an operation. It’s long snapper and punter. But Harvin’s snap-to-punt times were very good. I had him as an average of 1.85 seconds. Here were the overall numbers I charted for him.
Snap-to-punt: 1.85 seconds
Hangtime: 4.00 seconds
Distance: 43 yards
Those are better numbers in snap-to-punt and hangtime than Duffy while the distance is basically the same (43.2 vs. 43 yards). But Harvin’s hangtime number also isn’t great, either, considering he was more of a traditional style punter that should result in better hangtimes.
To his credit, when it all comes together, Harvin has some great punts. One of his best came against Clemson: 4.83 hangtime and a 54-yard average. Pinned the returner to the sideline, running him out of bounds, to preserve his net. That’s an elite kick.
Though it’s low on the list of things you look for, he can be an asset throwing the ball on fakes, too. He completed just one pass on three attempts in college but it was a big one, a 41-yard TD. That shot put background certainly came out on this play.
And Harvin served as the holder on field goals, too, which is vitally important for the NFL. Because virtually every punter is going to have to hold.
The biggest issue with his game is inconsistency. Lot of great punts. Also a lot of shanks. In this first clip against Clemson, he had just 3.27 seconds of hangtime on a 36-yard punt. In the second against Georgia, this one goes 3.36 seconds and just 36 yards.
He’s probably going to need and want to get his weight down a little bit just so he’s in shape and conditioned. I’m not sure why he needs to be 260+ pounds. If a coach can focus on his consistency (I’m not smart enough to break down the exact, technical details that are causing some of that), then I think Harvin can be a pretty good punter. But if I’m drafting a punter, I’m looking for someone who feels “out of the box” ready who doesn’t need to be made into a more consistent player. Not someone I can justify spending a draft pick on.
Projection: Late Day 3/Priority Undrafted Free Agent
Games Watched: vs Georgia (2019), vs Central Florida, vs Florida State, vs Clemson
