Zach Harrison, EDGE Ohio State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Harrison was a five-star recruit from Olentangy Orange High School in Lewis Center, Ohio in the class of 2019

Ohio State edge rusher Zach Harrison flashed early in the 2021 season before fading late in the year. The senior plays for a loaded program with high expectations. Harrison must show more consistency if he wants to attract significant attention before the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Zach Harrison, EDGE Ohio State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior defensive end from Lewis Center, Ohio

Background: Harrison was a five-star recruit from Olentangy Orange High School in Lewis Center, Ohio in the class of 2019. He was the No. 12 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 23 for Rivals, and No. 7 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 10th in the nation with a 90 grade out of 100. As a high school senior, Harrison tallied seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss in seven games. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was named a finalist for the All-American Bowl Man of the Year award. According to Ohio State, Harrison runs a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, a 10.7 in the 100-meters, and a 21.5 in the 200-meters.

2021 Production: 11 games, 25 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 28 pressures, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 3 passes defensed

2020 Production: 7 games, 14 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 22 pressures, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 passes defensed

2019 Production: 14 games, 24 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 7 pressures, 3.5 sacks

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed one game in 2020, missed two games in 2021

Awards: 2020 Second-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), 2021 Second-Team All-Big Ten (Media), 2021 Third-Team All-Big Ten (Coaches)

Pros: Missed tackles are rare, dense frame, rarely penalized, special teams experience on the field goal block and punt return units, gets his hands up for PBUs, explosive first step, speed to threaten the tackle’s outside shoulder, collapses down the line to the running back quickly, decent bend around the edge, some excellent wins using leverage to overpower tackles, above average linear speed for his size, too powerful for tight ends to handle, displays exciting closing burst, change of direction skills are above average for his position, high-level tackler in open space and one-on-one situations, experience working from two and three-point stances, long arms expand his tackle radius, enough athleticism to play coverage in the flat, flashes of impressive power

Cons: Gets displaced or sealed against the run, lower half appears lean for a player listed at 272 lbs., some of his rushes carry him too far upfield, doesn’t attack inside rush lanes, slow to disengage blockers and redirect to the football, doesn’t have the speed to consistently make plays as backside run defender, hands deploy late, rarely wins with power or bull rushes, stonewalled when tight ends or running backs help the tackle, lacks bend around the edge because of his stiff frame, doesn’t display a deep bag of pass rush moves and counters, looks lighter than 272 lbs., needs to be more mindful of his gap responsibilities, hands lack consistent violence, room to improve his use of leverage

Overview: Harrison is unofficially listed at 6'6", 272 lbs. He applied pressure on roughly 15.3% of his pass rush attempts in 2020 and 9.4% in 2021. Harrison is a high-end athlete possessing a powerful frame, explosive first step, excellent speed for his size, and formidable arm length. However, he’s failed to capitalize on these physical gifts. Harrison gets stuck on too many blocks and lacks the counters to revive his rush once he’s stonewalled. He’s a tremendous linear athlete who ran a 4.62 40-yard dash (Jermaine Johnson II and Kayvon Thibodeaux ran 4.58 at the 2022 NFL Combine) and a 4.45 20-yard shuttle (the same as David Ojabo) coming out of his school. He’s accomplished even crazier speed feats in the past. Harrison reportedly ran 100 meters in 10.7 seconds and 40 yards in 4.47 seconds. He brings these traits to the field as many of his best wins come on speed rushes where he blows past the tackle, deploys some bend at the top of his rush, and flattens to the quarterback. Harrison is limited by stiffness throughout his frame, but he still displays good (not great) bend. Thanks to his long arms, Harrison has a large tackle radius and performs at a high level in one-on-one tackle situations in space. His arms and speed also help him make plays in pursuit. When he uses leverage well, Harrison is able to drive linemen backward and overwhelm them with power. However, he fails to win with power consistently. Harrison has a lean lower half, which leads to him getting displaced or sealed against the run. Linemen have no problem stopping Harrison when his pad level rises, and his power advantage disappears. He doesn’t play with the force you would expect from a 272 lb. edge rusher. Harrison is slow to disengage blockers and redirect to the football, although his change of direction skills help him make several big plays. He must make better use of his hands throughout pass rush reps. Harrison sometimes loses track of his position on the field, working too far upfield as a rusher or abandoning his gap against the run. He doesn’t display a stocked arsenal of rush moves and counters.

Overall, Harrison possesses several enticing athletic developmental traits, but he’s failed to take the next over the past two years with Ohio State. Harrison’s struggles with power, stiffness, and limited technical progress relegate him to a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection.

Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 4-3 scheme

Round Projection: Late Third to Early Fourth

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 09-09-22