49ers’ 2018 ‘Who Is?’ series: Linebacker Eli Harold
By Peter Panacy
Niner Noise’s 2018 “Who Is?” series explores San Francisco 49ers linebacker Eli Harold — a player who might be pushed out of a starting role and into the periphery this upcoming season.
2018 could easily be a make-or-break year for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Eli Harold.
San Francisco’s third-round pick from the 2015 NFL Draft found himself thrust into a SAM linebacker role in coordinator Robert Saleh’s first year running the defense a year ago.
It’s not Saleh’s prototypical edge-rushing position either, reflected by the fact the former Virginia pass-rusher generated just two sacks last season. In total, Harold has just five over his pro career, compared to 17.5 over three collegiate seasons.
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Indeed, Harold participated in only 96 pass-rushing snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus. And PFF’s analytical data suggests he’s a better run defender in that role anyway.
Saleh expanded on Harold’s fit at SAM last year, courtesy of Niners Nation’s Jennifer Lee Chan:
"He might not show up on the stat sheet, but what Eli’s been able to do run-game wise, he’s one of the better edge setters I’ve ever been around from a SAM linebacker standpoint. He does provide an edge rush that forces teams to go five-O protection on us. They can’t just put a back on him."
But Harold was also asked to do a lot in coverage. The 109 snaps seen there back the data up too why Harold hasn’t generated the sack production over his career.
Yet a positional change could be in the works. And with an influx of linebacker talent this year, what does the future hold for Harold?
Let’s take a look.
Why Eli Harold Improves in 2018
San Francisco is overstocked at linebacker heading into this season. A healthy Malcolm Smith returns from a season-long pectoral injury, while second-year linebacker Reuben Foster seems a sure bet to stick with the 49ers after offseason legal question marks.
The Niners re-signed Brock Coyle, inked Korey Toomer in free agency and drafted former BYU standout Fred Warner in the 2018 NFL Draft.
These moves could be seen as insurance for Foster, who could still face an NFL-mandated suspension. But the position remain crowded nonetheless.
As such, San Francisco is planning to try Harold out at the LEO spot — the prime pass-rushing position in Saleh’s 4-3 Under scheme.
“We think Eli’s got some skills,” general manager John Lynch noted, via Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. “We felt like he made great progress at the SAM linebacker spot last year, but we do believe he has some rush ability that is untapped. And we need to tap it. And we’re going to give him that opportunity.”
The hope here is clearly to cash in on Harold’s collegiate pass-rushing prowess — important, especially after the 49ers finished 26th in sack production last year with just 30 quarterback takedowns.
Why He’ll Regress
The Niners haven’t exactly used Harold as a strict pass-rusher before, yet there are signs he won’t exactly thrive in this new role either.
Per PFF, Harold had a mere 50.4 pass-rush grade in 2017. And combining PFF’s old analytical data over his three pro seasons, Harold mustered a minus-9.5 pass-rush mark between 2015 and last year.
Niner Noise’s Chris Wilson broke down how the congested crop of non-SAM linebackers jeopardize Harold’s chances this season, writing:
San Francisco 49ers
"Given his draft status, Warner will be expected to contribute immediately. If he is unable to win the starting MIKE linebacker job, he could be given reps at SAM linebacker, given the skills he displayed at BYU.If Warner wins the starting MIKE linebacker job, Smith and Coyle could split time at SAM linebacker, where they both had experience during their time with the Seattle Seahawks.Both of these scenarios would be problematic for the 49ers’ 2017 starting SAM linebacker Eli Harold, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract."
From these two combined breakdowns, excelling at the LEO spot appears to be Harold’s final chance to thrive in San Francisco.
If he doesn’t, well, there’s your answer.
What to Expect with the 49ers in 2018
The Niners don’t exactly have a clear-cut answer at LEO this season, thanks to a thin free-agent crop and not-so-deep pass-rushing draft class.
That bodes well for Harold, yet it doesn’t guarantee him a roster spot entirely.
As Wilson noted, Harold enters the final year of his rookie contract. Cutting him prior to Week 1 would cost the Niners a mere $174,343 in dead money while generating over $1.9 million in cap savings.
Cap space isn’t an issue for San Francisco, yet an open roster spot would have significant value.
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Because of this, Harold has to be viewed as a bubble-watch candidate for 2018. One might see him on the strong bubble, given the lack of pass-rushers off the edge and Harold’s collegiate accolades. Yet he’ll have to seize the opportunity and make the most of it to ensure any sort of continued tenure with the 49ers in 2018 and beyond.