Missouri DE Charles Harris selected by Miami Dolphins with No. 22 pick in NFL Draft
Missouri Tigers defensive end Charles Harris was selected by the Miami Dolphins at No. 22 in the NFL Draft on Thursday night.
For former Tigers defensive end Charles Harris, the waiting was probably the hardest part on Thursday night. As the first round of the NFL Draft neared its close, I began to wonder if Harris just might fall to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Miami Dolphins eased my mind, when it selected Harris with the team’s No. 22 pick on Thursday night. The Dolphins, which have been in need of a speedy pass-rusher, acquired a top-10 defensive end in this draft.
More from Truman's Tales
- Believe it or not, Missouri football has never played these FBS teams
- Missouri Tigers all-time round-by-round NCAA tournament record
- March Madness schedule: When do the Missouri Tigers play next? (Updated Round of 64)
- The Missouri Tigers Kansas Jayhawks Border War Renews
- Marching Mizzou Marches into the Big Apple
Harris will line-up in the Dolphins’ 4-3 defensive set, opposite Cameron Wake. While run defense is not his strength, Harris moves quickly around the edge and creates problems for quarterbacks.
The defensive end’s success not only comes from personal experience, but is also due to learning from current NFL defensive linemen Markus Golden (Arizona Cardinals) and Shane Ray (Denver Broncos).
The Miami Dolphins have been in need of a talented pass-rusher to post opposite Wake. The downside being that his ability to stop the run is not where it needs to be.
Dolphins fans, who were hoping for linebacker Reuben Foster from Alabama, were not as pleased with the pick of Harris at 22. However, Miami’s second-year GM, Chris Grier, who couldn’t have been more pleased with the pick, stated “you can’t have too many pass rushers.”
According to the Miami Herald, “the Miami Dolphins believe that they have defensive end Cameron Wake’s heir in Harris. ”
Charles Harris makes the 17th player taken in the first-round of the modern NFL Draft era. He is also the first Missouri athlete taken in the first round under head coach Barry Odom.
Day 2 of the NFL Draft begins this evening, and there are still a number of Tigers on the board awaiting a new NFL home. Will linebacker Michael Scherer go in the second round tonight?