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Once again I’m writing on a wide receiving prospect here at Music City Miracles. Please be assured that I have 100% creative control over what I write on so I am not forced to write on this from the management. For some reason I’m just on a marathon run through receiving prospects since it’s something the Titans need to improve.
This time we’re looking at Liberian born receiver Kelvin Harmon, from NC State. Harmon, 22, is 6’3 and 214 lb, and will be 23 on December 15th. In his final season at NC State he caught 81 passes (tied for 12th in FBS play) for 1,186 yards (10th most), seven touchdowns and 14.6 yards per catch. For his efforts he was named First Team All-ACC.
Harmon hasn’t received nearly as much draft hype as fellow WR classmates like D.K. Metcalf or Hakeem Butler, but I was still curious enough to watch him and see what I could take away from his tape. With that in mind, below are my thoughts on the NC State prospect.
As a route runner, Harmon appears to be pretty consistent. He doesn’t have the most cutting edge route running material but he does display good all-around technique whenever he’s asked to run a certain route.
Here, Harmon runs an excellent fake on his route. His initial movement suggests he’s running a go route and is putting his quarterback in a position to toss him a back shoulder pass. However, at the last moment Harmon digs out and it turns into a comeback route. He makes a nice sliding catch at the sideline, making sure to get at least one foot in bounds in the process.
No one will act like zone coverage is as difficult to play against in comparison to man or press, but a strong level of awareness is still needed in order to master it. As a receiver, finding the right patch or spot vs. the zone is crucial to putting yourself in a position where your quarterback can throw to you and find a hole in the defense.
Harmon does a great job of finding that safe spot here. As he reaches it, he stops and remains patient just long enough for his quarterback to deliver the ball to him. It’s a subtle but necessary detail in mastering receiving vs. a zone defense, and while this doesn’t go for a lot, Harmon does just enough to reach the first down marker.
Harmon isn’t the flashiest receiver coming out of the college level, but against press or on contested plays he seems to have little issue creating separation or hauling passes in at the catch point. Watch the push off he gets from his left foot just after this snap. That little move gets him plenty of outside leverage against the corner, even with safety help over the top.
And it goes without saying his ball security makes this a clean catch.
Harmon’s 4.60 40-yard dash at the Combine turned off some people, but on the field he has shown he’s capable of stretching vertically and making plays there. I wouldn’t say his ability there is as strong as someone like Marquise Brown or D.K. Metcalf, but it’s not bad either.
And on occasion Harmon does come up with the flashy 50/50 catch. This one in particular is spectacular, and I love the concentration and angle he uses to come up with this pass. It’s not even a well placed pass either, as it should’ve been thrown to Harmon’s back shoulder, but on the other hand it allowed him to put this play on his highlight reel.
I don’t think Kelvin Harmon is a spectacular athlete, but the first player that comes to mind when watching him is Pierre Garçon. Both players are extremely well rounded even if they don’t have the flashiest skill sets we’ll ever see from the receiving position. He has really good technique and should do just fine against zone, man, or press coverage.
For the Titans, he’d be a nice compliment to Corey Davis and Adam Humphries if available at #19. Personally, I see him being taken in the late first or second round. He’s not my favorite receiver from this class, but I’d be lying if I said he wouldn’t be a solid addition to the Titans receiving corps.