2017 NFL Draft Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report: Charles Harris

If the Kansas City Chiefs decide to grab a pass rusher, there may not be any more well-received by the fan base than local boy Charles Harris of Mizzou.

There is a bit of fan angst when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs pass rush. Tamba Hali is at the end of his career. Dee Ford has flashed talent, but has not been consistent. Justin Houston is a stud but has had injury issues the past couple of years. All in all, there isn’t a truly reliable pass rusher that fans feel 100% confident in right now. Enter local star Charles Harris into the mix.

Realistically, a pass rusher shouldn’t be a priority for the Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft. The aforementioned players are still very solid options. The Chiefs also have a reliable veteran in Frank Zombo, and two developmental players in Victor Ochi and Dadi Nicolas. It really is a position group that seems to have its bases covered.

However, there is still that uncertainty at the top that could be the driving force in a decision. Also, the Kansas City Chiefs leadership talks a lot about “best player available” when it comes to the draft. If he is still available when the Chiefs pick, it’s hard to imagine any players being rated higher than Charles Harris.

Charles Harris – DE/OLB – Missouri

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It’s not unfair to say that Charles Harris was a rare bright spot for the Mizzou Tigers last year. The stud pass rusher was consistently the best player on the field for the team. Harris brings a phenomenal first step and excellent snap anticipation that gives him an immediate advantage over opposing blockers.

Charles Harris compliments his speed with surprising quickness and some impressive pass rush moves. His ability to get up field in a hurry opens up a variety of options for him when going after the passer. Harris also has experience in both the two-point and three-point stances, which gives him a leg up on other potential 3-4 OLBs.

The star pass rusher got off to a bit of a slow start in 2016, but picked it up late in the season. Some of his struggles can be directly attributed to the fact that opposing teams didn’t respect the rest of the defense.

One thing that is a legitimate ding on Charles Harris is his lack of pure strength. Harris attempted to fix that this past season by adding weight, but it affected his quickness. It will be interesting to see if he can fix that with an NFL strength and conditioning program.

Next: NFL Draft: Kansas City Chiefs Scouting Report Central

You cannot win in the NFL if you can’t put pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Kansas City Chiefs know this fact and have built their defense around it. I won’t claim to know what the Chiefs think about their current group of pass rushers. However, I do recognize a reason for concern. Ultimately, I think they stay away from a pass rusher early, but you never know.