2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ronnie Harrison

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

Ronnie Harrison, 6-2/207 Safety Alabama

Ronnie Harrison Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Natural strong safety

Extremely physical

Excellent run defender

Good-enough instincts

Devastating hitter

Good tackler

Quickness

Can separate the ball from the receiver

Comes up with splash plays

Reads a quarterback’s eyes

Functional in zone coverage

Good blitzer

Disciplined

Functional in zone coverage

Should contribute on special teams

Should be able to play quickly

Experienced and successful against good college talent

Should be able to play immediately

Weaknesses:

Had knee surgery as a sophomore

Missed some tackles in the early going of 2017

Could use some development in coverage skills for the NFL

Could struggle as the single-high deep free safety

Not a good man-coverage matchup for slot receivers

Ball skills need work; dropped interceptions

Summary: In the passing-driven NFL, safety play is critical even though the position has been devalued in the NFL draft to an extent. Teams need safeties who can help cover receiving tight ends and play-making receivers, plus stop the run. Harrison is a gifted athlete who can help a defense in a variety of ways.

After serving as a backup during his freshman year, Harrison put together a strong 2016 season for Alabama in his first year as a starter. He totaled 86 tackles, seven passes broken up and two interceptions that year. In 2017, Harrison notched 74 tackles with 2.5 sacks, three interceptions and four passes batted.

What Harrison does best is serve as a strong safety in run defense. He was superb as the eighth man in the box for Alabama. There is no doubt that Harrison is a tough run defender who is physical, strong, and a forceful tackler. He quickly diagnoses run plays and shows some explosion to hunt down the ball-carrier. In the ground game and in pass defense, Harris is a violent hitter who punishes offensive players. He could grow and get consideration to play dime linebacker given his ability to hit and tackle.



Harrison has some weaknesses in pass coverage for the NFL. He has the physical talent to play man, but he allows too much separation and should be protected from doing that in the NFL. Slot receivers and tight ends can gain separation from him in and out of their breaks. That was evident in his sophomore year when Clemson’s Hunter Renfroe had his way with Harrison. Zone coverage playing the short to intermediate part of the field is a much better fit for Harrison. He should be sound in zone coverage and is a hard hitter who is a true enforcer in the middle of the field. Harrison also shows nice ability as a blitzer.

For the NFL, Harrison fits as a strong safety and should not be played as a free safety who mans the deep center field. Harrison projects as a late first-round or second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.





Player Comparison: Landon Collins. Harrison is very similar to former Alabama safety Landon Collins. Both are excellent run defenders who are good tacklers and hard hitters. They also have limitations for how they can be used in pass coverage. Collins was the 33rd-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, and Harrison could go in the same area. In the NFL, I think Harrison will be a lesser version of Collins.

NFL Matches: Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle, Dallas, Carolina, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Washington

In the back half of the first round, there are a few landing spots for Harrison. The Los Angeles Chargers are probably the highest that Harrison could hope to go. They have had a hole at safety since Eric Weddle departed in free agency, and Harrison would give them an enforcer on the back end of their defense.

Seattle is starting to revamp of its great defense, and there has been a lot of rumors that the Seahawks could move on from Earl Thomas, plus Kam Chancellor’s playing future is in doubt. Harrison could be a replacement for Chancellor.

Dallas is also in need of a safety upgrade after losing Barry Church to free agency. Harrison would be a nice fit for Rod Marinelli’s scheme.

Perhaps the most likely landing spot for Harrison in the first round is Carolina. The Panthers’ safeties are ancient and need to be upgraded. Harrison’s ability to also play some dime linebacker could help the team eventually replace Thomas Davis.

In the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, there are a lot of potential landing spots for Harrison. The Colts have a trio of second-round picks, and Harrison could form a talented young tandem with Malik Hooker.

Tampa Bay could use a safety upgrade next to Justin Evans. Harrison could be a nice addition to improve one of the more vulnerable pass defenses in the NFL.

San Francisco could consider a safety in the first round, but if the organization addresses another position, Harrison would make a lot of sense if he gets to the team’s second-round selection. Eric Reid is a free agent, while Jaquiski Tartt and Jimmie Ward are in the their last year of their contracts. Both of those latter safeties were picks by the previous regime. The 49ers will probably revamp their safeties for their new scheme, and Harrison could be their strong safety.

Washington could consider looking for a safety upgrade. The position isn’t a screaming need, but Harrison could be in play for the Redskins if he’s the best player available.

2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Choose Player 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Home Adonis Alexander, CB, Virginia Tech Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas Marcel Ateman, WR, Oklahoma State Anthony Averett, CB, Alabama Kalen Ballage, RB, Arizona State Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State Sam Beal, CB, Western Michigan Andrew Brown, DE, Virginia Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma Taven Bryan, DT, Florida Lorenzo Carter, LB, Georgia D.J. Chark, WR, LSU Geron Christian, OT, Louisville Bradley Chubb, DE, N.C. State Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia Simmie Cobbs, WR, Indiana Tyrell Crosby, OT, Oregon James Daniels, C, Iowa Sam Darnold, QB, USC Marcus Davenport, DE, UTSA Carlton Davis, CB, Auburn Duke Dawson, CB, Florida Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech Duke Ejiofor, DE, Wake Forest Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama Luke Falk, QB, Washington State Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama Mike Gesicki, TE, Penn State Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State Rasheem Green, DT, USC Derrius Guice, RB, LSU DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Penn State Da'Shawn Hand, DE, Alabama Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama Will Hernandez, G, UTEP Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida Hayden Hurst, TE, South Carolina Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan Donte Jackson, CB, LSU Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa Derwin James, S, Florida State Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas Kerryon Johnson, RB, Auburn Ronald Jones, RB, USC Arden Key, DE, LSU Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M Micah Kiser, LB, Virginia Harold Landry, DE, Boston College Darius Leonard, LB, South Carolina State Iman Marshall, CB, USC Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State Mike McGlinchey, OT, Notre Dame Sony Michel, RB, Georgia Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis Kolton Miller, OT, UCLA D.J. Moore, WR, Maryland Nick Nelson, CB, Wisconsin Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado Brian O'Neill, OT, Pittsburgh Da'Ron Payne, DT, Alabama Rashaad Penny, RB, San Diego State Harrison Phillips, DT, Stanford Billy Price, C, Ohio State Frank Ragnow, C, Arkansas Martinas Rankin, OT, Mississippi State Justin Reid, S, Stanford Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State Jaylen Samuels, RB, N.C. State Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech Braden Smith, G, Auburn Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU Chad Thomas, DE, Miami Trenton Thompson, DT, Georgia Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State Vita Vea, DT, Washington Akrum Wadley, RB, Iowa Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State James Washington, WR, Oklahoma State Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson Connor Williams, OT, Texas Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia

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