Ronnie Harrison
Harrison was a standout safety for Alabama and is a good fit with the Steelers, even with the recent signing of Morgan Burnett. Harrison is immensely talented, but may not be ready to start just yet. By sitting behind Burnett and Davis for a little, Harrison may get the chance learn and develop before he even gets the chance to start.
Pros:
- Harrison is very athletically gifted – strong, fast, quick
- Has great “catch-up” speed if burned in coverage
- Proficient in man and zone coverage
- Great against the run, does a good job making tackles and getting into the backfield
- Hard-hitter
Cons:
- Slow footwork
- Struggles with certain routes
- Takes him a while to backpedal/turn around
- Overcommits/misses many tackles
The Steelers usually love a big hitter, but this year they may be looking for a secure tackler, due to recent issues with Mike Mitchell and Sean Davis. They need to see improvement in that area in order to draft Harrison.
Ronnie Harrison struggles turning around on routes, but his crazy catch-up speed and acceleration makes up for that disadvantage. He is defiantly an upgrade over Sean Davis in man coverage, but is not as good in zone. He does an extraordinary job getting to the ball carrier, but struggles with consistently coming down with the tackle, as he goes for the big hit or the flashy tackle. He’s got great situational awareness and is a play maker. But he is raw. He makes mistakes, overcommits, and needs better footwork. He may spend a little time on the bench, but I have confidence he will be ready to truly flourish by week 8 or so.
Ranking:
Fit for the Steelers: A
Draft Range: Late 1st to Early 2nd
Overall Grade: B+
Ceiling/Potential: A+
NFL Comps: Kam Chancellor (+), Mike Mitchell (-)
Conclusion: Ronnie Harrison is an extremely talented, high ceiling safety, but he has a low floor. He could end up as a Kam Chancellor-esque player, who makes big hits, yet rarely misses the easy tackles. Or he could end up struggling to make easy tackles like Mitchell did. this is the one things really making the Steelers reluctant to draft Harrison. Mitchell was never truly horrible, but Steeler fans want to stay away from someone like Mitchell as much as possible, due to recent event. If the Steelers are able to coach him up a little bit, prepare him for the NFL, and teach him when to and when not to go for the big plays, Harrison could be the next Kam Chancellor, the next dominant safety of the generation.
