Interior offensive linemen the Seahawks should target in the 2020 NFL Draft

Nick Harris: Senior C, Washington

Harris may be the biggest sleeper in the draft amongst interior offensive lineman. He is undersized standing at just 6’1”, 293lbs, but has a powerful build. He excels in using his leverage to his advantage. Much in the way Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford does for the Seahawks defensive line. He has quick and fluid movements to get both his hands and his feet into place before the defensive line can establish the attack. He has a knack for working angles to his advantage.

He plays with a fire that will get the whole team rallied behind him and leads by example. The play isn’t done until his opponent is on the ground. He really excels as the lead blocker. He is quick out of his stance and moves with ease to the outside.

His biggest concern would be one of the reasons I’m drawn to him. He plays ultra-aggressive football, almost to a fault. This can cause issues on defensive stunt plays and find him out of position. He has a tendency to draw penalties when beat by the defender. He also is inconsistent in breaking contact once engaged. The final concern is due to his smaller stature. Similar to Joey Hunt, he can be taken advantage of by bigger defensive lineman. He will need to add some additional weight to ease some of this concern.

Harris has all the tools a team could want, and many of his strengths simply cannot be taught. Unfortunately, many teams around the league look at them as disadvantages. He is too short and too aggressive in his decision making. These are two things the Seahawks do not shy away from, we break conventional boundaries often; Russell Wilson too short, Poona Ford too short, Tyler Lockett too small, Jamarco Jones not athletic enough, Kam Chancellor too big for the position, Richard Sherman too slow. I could go on and on. Harris knows how to use his disadvantage to his advantage, much like many of the names above.

When you take into account his motor, mobility and instincts the first player that pops to mind is Jason Kelce. Both were labeled as very athletic coming into the draft with quick feet and explosiveness out of their stances. Both were exceptional with 2nd level blocking and blocking in space. Both were highly underrated. Kelce was labeled as late rounder (6-7th round prospect) coming out of college and is now the highest-paid center in the league, and deservedly so. Harris is being talked about as a day 2 prospect. He could be an ideal pick in the second round.

Player comparison: Jason Kelce

Draft projection: 2nd round