Marcus Harris: 2024 NFL Draft profile and projection
Auburn is a Top-20 all-time college program in terms of producing draft picks into the NFL. According to DraftHistory.com., the Tigers have 295 all-time draft picks, which ranks No. 19 among all programs.
Auburn hopes to add to that total in the 2024 NFL Draft. There a handful of players that should hear their name called. Auburn Live will profile the top candidates to be drafted leading into the draft that is upcoming on April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan.
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Marcus Harris
Harris tallied 126 tackles, 31 tackles for 11 sacks during his five years in college — two at Kansas and three at Auburn. All but 27 tackles and seven tackles for loss came while Harris was with the Tigers. Harris’ best season came in 2023, recording 40 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He also forced a fumble and recovered a fumble during the season.
Two of Harris’ best games came against two of the premier programs in the country. Against Alabama in 2021, he had four tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. And against Georgia this past season, Harris had a career-high seven tackles and two tackles for loss.
Pro Football Focus graded Harris the No 19 overall defensive lineman during the 2023 season and the top-graded interior defensive lineman in the SEC, if you exclude Texas. PFF graded Harris as the No. 11 defender against the rush last season, first in the SEC.
Sidenote: Somehow, against all logic and proven productivity, Harris didn’t earn first or second-team All-SEC honors as named by the coaches. How that happened still remains a mystery.
Harris attended the NFL Combine and ran a 5.06 40-yard dash, jumped 29.5″ on the vertical jump and did 27 reps on the bench press. Harris measured in at 6-foot-2 and 286 pounds.
Here’s what NFL.com says about Harris:
Playmaking interior lineman who makes up for his lack of size with quickness and instincts. Harris punches above his weight class in the strength department, utilizing upper-body power and lower-body balance to fight the good fight. He’ll get moved around by bigger bodies, but he’s relentless and has the athleticism to find his way back into plays. He has skilled hands and the lateral quickness to dive into gaps as both a run defender and pass rusher. Harris’ best chance to succeed will be as a one-gapper in an even front where he can become a very good rotational defender or eventual starter.
Draft projection: Round 4-5
