Tennessee used their first pick on Day Two by selecting NC State center/guard Leroy Harris. It appears the guard part is secondary to his projected position of center.
Mike Reinfeldt seems determined to tick off a lot of fans by not addressing immediate needs. I will remain disturbed about the DE position. I’m not exactly thrilled about the corner and receiver situations either.
I’ve been under the impression that the Titans, including O-line coach Mike Munchak liked Eugene Amano, who until now appeared to be the heir apparent to Kevin Mawae. Whether or not that’s so, the fact remains that the Titans just used a valuable draft pick to replace a reserve.
While I like offensive linemen and was hoping the Titans would draft one, I was looking at an eventual replacement for right guard Benji Olson and not for a center, which was a position I hoped would be addressed next year. Better yet, a guy who could play both, but the scouting report on Harris indicates he may struggle as a guard.
The scouting report says he played center, both guard positions, and left tackle for the Wolfpack. It seems he won’t be a guard in the NFL and the experience at left tackle indicates he will have great footwork for a center.
- Here’s the summary of the NFL’s scouting report on Harris:
Compares To: Nick Leckey, Arizona — Both centers compensate for a lack of ideal size with a powerful hand punch, good aggression and explosiveness coming off the snap. Harris has been banged up two of the past three years, but is the type who will play with pain, if the trainers don’t hide his helmet. He shows good leg drive and pop on contact, and even when taking on the mammoth nose guards, he has the low center of gravity and balance to wall his man off on drive blocks. Even though Harris has experience at guard, he is not nearly as effective working in space as when parked on the line, making him a better center prospect.
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