Yesterday we paid homage to one of the greatest Miami Dolphins to put on the uniform, pass rusher Cameron Wake. Today is a bit of a different story. We are 90 days away from Miami Dolphins football in 2019, and so we shift our attention to a potential heir to Wake’s title as the team’s leading pass rusher — Charles Harris.
If past performance is any indication, Harris won’t claim the title. Harris, who was a top-25 selection in 2017, has flopped hard to start his pro career — logging just 3 sacks in his first two seasons in the NFL. What has gone wrong for Miami?
Unfortunately, Harris is still the player he was in college — undeveloped as a pass rusher and too reliant on free passes to generate pressure. At Missouri, Harris was a terror off the edge because he was showcased in wide alignments and encouraged to explode off the ball with little regard for defending the run.
Here in Miami, Harris still looks to drive off the ball but he’s got more responsibilities (the run) to him down. Furthermore, his natural explosiveness isn’t at a level that allows him to mask the technical flaws and lack of pass rush plan he’s illustrated thus far in his pro career.
At the 2017 NFL Combine, Harris tested below the 50th percentile in every athletic test except the 40-yard dash (a 4.82s 40-time, good for the 54th percentile). His other tests should have served as red flags for the Dolphins — they are indicators that his film wasn’t what it seemed, especially given his one-dimensional approach to rushing the passer.
Of course, the tape is the more valuable barometer of success, but merging Harris’ tendencies on film with his limited athletic profile was a red light the Dolphins barreled through without so much as a second thought. And now it is the job of Brian Flores to find the magic touch with Harris and draw out a pass rush prowess that Harris hasn’t shown to date. It’s the only way to avoid this pick being on the Dolphins kick themselves for in the years to come.
