Marcus Harris 2024 NFL Draft: Combine Results, Scouting Report For Auburn DT

Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Marcus Harris (50) runs drills during Auburn Football Pro Day at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, Ala., on Friday, March 22, 2024.

NFL Transition

Harris is a stout, stocky interior defensive lineman who played mostly from 3-technique in a 4-3 Front (moved to 1-technique is passing situations) and as a defensive end in a 3-4 Front. 

He’s best as an early down defender who can be disruptive in the run game, attacking the edge of blockers to generate push/penetration. Harris uses his hands to keep his head out of blocks and plays with good vision to play the run and react to QB movement. He has a good counter move (swim/rip) in the run game to fight against the blocker’s movement/angle, allowing him to get into the backfield. 

Harris lacks the burst and speed to close on the ball and the quickness needed to redirect or change direction to beat blocks. He struggled to fight through and off blocks once engaged due to his tendency to stop his feet and lose momentum after initial contact. He is a read-and-react pass rusher, using his vision and hands to generate secondary pressure (mush rush style pass rusher) on the QB.

Overall, Harris lacks the desired size to be effective from nose tackle, making him best suited as a 1-technique DT in a 4-3 front based on his skill set. He displayed a good feel for offensive schemes, allowing him to attack blocks to generate penetration in the run game. 

Harris lacks the burst and quickness to be a consistent pass rusher and could struggle to generate consistent push or beat blocks with his movement. He is a late Day 3 developmental prospect who could develop into a solid rotation player in a few years if he puts on some weight and improves his get-off/burst.

Other Notes

Harris came out of Montgomery, Alabama as a three-star recruit. He was the 101st strong side defensive end recruit in the nation. 

Initially, he went to Kansas (2019-2020) before transferring to Auburn for the last three seasons. Harris played in 43 games, finishing his career with 126 total tackles, 31 TFLs, 11 Sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He earned second-team All-SEC in 2023. 

In 2022, Harris struggled to make a consistent impact, accumulating only three TFLs (161st in the nation) and two sacks. He had only a 4.1 pressure percentage, with only 10 pressures on his 246 pass rush snaps.

In 2023, Harris was much more impactful as one of the nation’s most productive interior defensive linemen. He was tied for first in the nation with 6.5 sacks on the inside and second with 9.5 TFLs. However, Harris only had a 6.6 pressure percentage, generating only 15 pressures on his 228 pass rush snaps.