Anton Harrison 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Oklahoma OT
Anton Harrison, a four-star recruit in 2020, logged over 1,000 snaps at left tackle through his first two seasons with the Oklahoma Sooners. As a junior, he started all but one of 12 regular season games on the blindside yet again (one at right tackle and opted out of the Cheez-It Bowl) and received more recognition on a national scale, when he was named a first-team All-Big 12 performer.
Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
6-foot-4, 310 pounds; Junior
Positives
+ Presents an athletic frame with minimal excess weight and long arms (34 ¼)
+ Can create some knock-back as he lands his hands inside the frame of defenders, shoving linebackers off track regularly
+ This past season, he was more assertive near the point of attack to drive-block edge defenders or block down on three-techniques and get those guys off their landmarks
+ You see him lift stand-up D-tackles in order for fellow linemen to wrap around behind him regularly
+ On the backside of wide zone runs, if linebackers try to shoot the B-gaps, Harrison hits and rides them way down the line to open up massive cutback lanes behind him
+ When guys try to dip underneath him or get around blocks, Harrison typically rides them towards his own end-zone to blow the front-side open
+ Has the quick burst to help secure the down-linemen on combo blocks and then deliver some force to open up a lane inside of them as somebody from the second level behind it steps down
+ Bends off the inside foot and uncoils force through defenders in the hole, wrapping around on power/counter schemes
+ Frequently is able to face-plant defenders as he catches them off balance, with one foot off the ground, with the triceps strength to extend and push them down
+ Makes the job of his teammates a lot easier, when he’s passing off down-linemen on front-side combos by extending with the inside arm and allowing the guy next to him to bring his base and secure the block
+ Rarely overruns his targets in space and forces guys to work around him consistently
+ His 4.98 in the 40 was tied for the second-best mark among all offensive linemen at the combine
+ And he shows off that mobility in impressive fashion, pulling out wide or releasing and putting hands on third-level defenders in the screen game
+ There’s good rhythm and a certain calmness in his kick-slide, with the light feet to guide edge defenders around the loop
+ Times up his strike as rushers try to throw their hands, frequently hitting them as they’re off balance and taking them to the ground every once in a while
+ His initial hand placement may not be great always and he gets caught with his elbow out wide, but he does work to re-fit them and finds way to gain control
+ And he finds ways to maximize his length to outreach his man
+ Can really snatch rushers as he grabs cloth of guys trying to work through him, without giving them a lane to escape
+ Plays under good control generally and doesn’t overreact to defensive movement, picking up games and mirroring guys with space to work
+ Smoothly transitions from the slanting linemen to the looper on E-T twists
+ Has some impressive recovery moments on tape, where rushers have him on skates and he’s somehow able to drop his anchor due to his high-level balance
+ Off their GT power schemes and RPO elements, Harrison was also tasked with pulling around and pick up linebackers trying to shoot the hole, where his ability to stop his momentum and then mirror guys was highly impressive
+ Allowed just one sack and eight hurries (no QB hits) across 447 pass-blocking snaps last season
Negatives
– Can’t reduce his height very well, and you can see them roll his weight over his shoulders at times trying to establish contact with smaller linebackers
– Doesn’t set the tone in the run game like you’d want to see for that size, having to become more effective with his hand-placement and re-work the way he transitions force from the ground up
– You see some of that as well in the pass game, when his chest folds forward instead of working with sink in his hips, and then he kind of tries to chase after guys up the arc, where if timed correctly can leave the inside lane to the QB completely free
– Carries his hands fairly low and comes in wide with the punch, to where guys who sell out on attacking his chest can take him for a ride a few times, as he doesn’t seem ready to land his hands. You see that at times when he’s not ready for somebody coming his way on twists
– There’s a few reps where he tries to ride edge rushers up the field, but he doesn’t maintain contact and that guy is able to slip underneath him
Overview
It’s never easy projecting tackles, particularly going from offensive systems that relied heavily on a few run concepts, off which they build their RPO game and offer limited reps for pass-protectors to prove themselves.
The areas of weakness in Harrison’s game right now are pretty clear: He struggles to bend at the knees and maximize his power in the run game, while his hands and feet aren’t married regularly enough in pass-pro.
On the bright side, he brings plenty of shock in his hands and well-coordinated movement to work to the second level, while being light on his feet to deal with speed off the edge and being able to clamp down on guys once he takes control of reps.
There is a fairly steep learning curve in front of him, but he has all the physical tools and the mindset to become a plus starter on the blindside, which is why he regularly finds his name late in first-round mock drafts.
Grade: Early second round
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