Staff opinions on Charles Harris

The Miami Dolphins slected Charles Harris at 22 last night. Harris a fast twitch defensive end pass rusher will join Cameron Wake and Andre Branch.

While many fans were upset over the selection due to some of the other names still on the board, Harris is a legit sack artist who will improve the Dolphins defense. How did our staff feel about the pick?

James Anderson

This was a good pick to add to a potential deadly QB pass rush which has been the biggest nemesis of one Tom Brady in the base package. Although the consensus is that Harris is lacking when it comes to setting an edge against the run. The answer there is to get newly acquired William Hayes to be involved on potential running plays.

An interesting point on Hayes is he had basically the same stats as Branch and while noted for his run stopping he had the same amount of sacks. And if the Dolphins choose to do so they could send a three or even four pronged QB attack to have meetings at the QB.

There were other players still available when Harris was picked but some had injury and off-field concerns so this was a good pick and most pundits had them going for a player at this position first.

Ryan Harris

The Miami Dolphins selected DE Charles Harris from Missouri at pick 22. He made the second-team All Southeastern Conference this past season and had 18 sacks over his career at Missouri. During his time at Missouri, he showed an ability to get to the quarterback and will now be paired with Cameron Wake to create a dynamic duo off the edge for the Dolphins.

Hopefully, he will learn from Wake how to be a professional football player and how to take care of his body. However, he is listed at 253lbs. and struggles against the run. Last year, the Dolphins defense ranked 30th against the run. Will his run defense be a liability and not allow him to get on the field his rookie season? The Dolphins need Harris to be an immediate contributor. Overall, Harris was a good pick. He is a talented pass rusher that fills a need for the Dolphins.

Eric Frosbutter

The run on offensive players early in the first round paid off well for the Dolphins as they were able to pick up one of the best defensive ends in the draft in Harris. Harris will be a part of the Dolphins long-term solution on the edge as an eventual replacement for Cameron Wake. He still has to get better at containing the edge, and improve against the run, but he upgrades Miami’s pass-rushing attack almost instantly.

The Dolphins loved Harris all along, but did not initially believe he would be available when it came time for them to pick. The surprising run on offensive players in a deep defensive draft allowed Harris to be there however, and Miami couldn’t be happier to pick him up. Many Dolphins fans would argue that they probably should’ve gone with LB Reuben Foster, but too many question marks surround Foster’s character issues and shoulder injury. Harris is a solid pickup for Miami at, arguably, their most glaring need.