Jacob

Harris

Ngata and many others spent the 2023 season on the Eagles’ practice squad, so the team will keep them around for the offseason. The 6'3" Ngata was a five-star recruit when he committed to Clemson, but he has never quite been able to build on that early-career hype. He’ll have another offseason to try and figure it out. The other 19 players signed to reserve/future deals were: DT Thomas Booker, T Le’Raven Clark, WR Shaquan Davis, DT Noah Elliss, DB Mekhi Garner, DB Mario Goodrich, WR Jacob Harris, WR Griffin Hebert, DE Tarron Jackson, TE E.J. Jenkins, LB Terrell Lewis, DB Tristin McCollum, DB Tiawan Mullen, RB Lew Nichols, G Jason Poe, LB Brandon Smith, C Lecitus Smith, T Brett Toth, and WR Austin Watkins.

Harris is a converted tight end who played wide receiver for the Rams last season. An athlete with tremendous size who once boasted a 4.39 40-yard dash, Harris’ career has been hampered by a torn ACL and groin injuries suffered in recent years. It won’t be surprising to see another team take a shot on him in the coming weeks.

A former tight end who converted to wide receiver last season, Harris was a size/speed darling who ripped off a 4.39 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds during the NFL Combine. Despite freaky size and athleticism, Harris’ physical traits have yet to convert to NFL success. He’s caught just one career pass for six yards and has also been hampered by a torn ACL and groin injuries. The former fourth-round pick will now try to secure a roster spot with the Jaguars this offseason, in hopes of revitalizing a career that has gotten off to a disappointing start.

LA drafted Harris in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He was selected as a tight end but converted to receiver after his rookie season. Injuries have been an issue for Harris. He missed time in his first offseason as a pro because of a groin issue before suffering a torn ACL in November. This year, another groin injury kept him out of training camp for a couple of weeks. He will likely be stashed on the Rams’ practice squad once waivers run.

The word comes straight from coach Sean McVay. Not exactly an ideal development for a second-year fourth-rounder converting from tight end to wideout. Extremely injury prone to date in the NFL, including a Nov. 2021 ACL tear, Harris is on the outside looking in of a 53-man roster spot.

Harris is a long shot to make an impact of any kind for the Rams this season. He is coming off a November ACL tear, after an uneventful rookie season. However, Harris is converting back to his college position, and with 4.43 speed at 6-foot-5, 219, he would certainly be intriguing if he can earn playing time. With tight end eligibility in fantasy, Harris is worth keeping an eye on in training camp.

After touting the former receiver’s unique skillset in the summer, Sean McVay was unable to carve out a role for Harris. The rookie’s debut campaign ended without a reception on 15 offensive snaps. Though, he was made active every week this season for his special teams prowess. He’ll look to earn a larger role on offense in his second season.

The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue reported that Harris underwent a procedure for a minor core injury. He will be held out of practice while he recovers. Harris was not added to the PUP list, so the injury doesn’t appear to be too concerning. Still, it’s notable that Harris, who is attempting to convert from wide receiver to tight end in his rookie season, will be out of action for several weeks of training camp.

Described as a “total analytics pick” by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Harris -- a hybrid receiver/tight end -- has played first-team snaps in LA’s offseason practice with veteran Tyler Higbee not in attendance. McVay, who has spent extra time with Harris during rookie drills, said Harris is “a guy that has a tremendous amount of upside. His natural range, catch radius, body control for a player of his size is pretty rare. I think you guys can see — for NFL guys to stand out the way that he has done, in some of these limited settings, in shorts and in helmets, he’s definitely made a positive impression.” An old rookie at 24, Harris (6'5/219) lit it up during his pro day, registering a 96th percentile burst score, a 95th percentile speed score, and a 99th percentile catch radius. Rams scout Michael Pierce said Harris is “as athletic as [Kyle] Pitts if you look at him at tight end” -- a bold claim, but not unfounded. Rodrigue said the Rams plan to use the rookie in a “variety of positions along the line of scrimmage,” not as a traditional tight end. Harris -- who had 49 career receptions at Central Florida -- is an intriguing prospect in some fantasy formats, and should be drafted late in deeper tight end premium leagues in case he carves out a role in the Rams’ offense. Higbee will be the team’s Week 1 starter, though we’ve seen the Rams balk in giving Higbee a full-time role.

A former soccer player turned tight end, Harris (6'5/219) didn’t catch a single pass at any level until his junior year at Central Florida in 2019. He still excelled as a standout on special teams to that point and made the most of his 49 career receptions, exploding for a 40-plus yard gain on 20.4% of his catches. Per The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, several teams view Harris as a tight end while others grade him at wide receiver for his thin frame, straight-line 4.43 40-speed, and 92nd percentile arm length (33 3/4-inches). He’ll admittedly have to turn heads on every rep from day one since he’ll be 24 years old on draft weekend. The Rams declared Harris as a receiver which lines up with his play-style. Harris joins a crowded receiving room but could carve out a niche role because of his unique combination of size and speed.