Evaluating college prospects can be tough work.
Of course, we always want to “trust the tape” in our analysis of a player, but from an organization’s perspective, they must take more than just the tape into consideration. This means off the field issues, one-on-one meetings, and conversations with family members of the player all come into play.
Often times, when discussing off field circumstances in regard to a player’s draft status, we only focus on the negative. For example, Alabama’s Tim Williams will probably fall further than his talent alone would dictate due to some off the field problems he’s had.
Teams can not just focus on a player’s wrongdoing, however, and they must place equal importance on when that player does right. The Dallas Cowboys love these “high character” players, labeled as RKGs or the “right kind of guys”.
Missouri defensive end Charles Harris is exactly that.
Inside The Star contributor Ian Koplowitz recently stumbled upon an important nugget of information when researching the EDGE prospects. Harris was nominated for the Lott IMPACT trophy during his last season at Missouri for his leadership both on and off the field.
“Charles is a physical force on the defensive line and outspoken leader on his team, while remaining a prime example of what a student athlete should be off the field. Harris takes part in a community outreach program with abused children and gives each day 100% for his mother who is battling MS.”
If you could think back to the Cowboys selection of Dak Prescott for a moment, you’ll realize how important these kinds of awards and stories are to the Cowboys draft process. They value players who go above and beyond their talents on the field, and look to make a positive impact as a human being.
As pointed out in my scouting report of Charles Harris over at Slant Sports, Harris would be a welcomed addition to a Cowboys defense which lacks any real explosive edge threat. He plays with great effort, a high motor, and now clearly is of high character.
Charles Harris is the right kind of guy the Cowboys normally like to choose, and I would certainly be in favor of drafting him with the 28th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
