49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Cornerback Tim Harris

Niner Noise’s 2019 “Who Is?” series looks at the San Francisco 49ers’ final pick of this year’s NFL Draft, cornerback Tim Harris, and his chances of making the roster this season.

On one hand, it made perfect sense the San Francisco 49ers used their last pick of the 2019 NFL Draft on an oft-injured cornerback, Virginia’s Tim Harris, to provide both depth and a potential long-term contributor if he develops well enough.

On the other, though, Harris’ injury concerns could easily relegate him to being yet another one of the many players the Niners have selected over the years, whose injuries prevented them from reaching any sort of realistic potential.

As shown in Harris’ collegiate chart below, the 6-foot-2 defensive back spent more than his share of time at Virginia, seeing those excessive seasons due to a multitude of different injuries:

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/3/2019.

When healthy, Harris can be relatively explosive. So a sixth-round draft flier on him arguably isn’t something too risky.

That said, what will he have to do in order to secure a depth spot on the roster this season and beyond?

Why Tim Harris Improves in 2019

Harris enjoyed a standout pro day before the draft, running a sub-4.50 40-yard time and also coming away with a respectable 6.90 time during the three-cone drill. Those attributes helped showcase his explosiveness and change-of-direction abilities, which will be the prime skills he’ll need to succeed at the NFL level.

Just shy of 200 pounds, Harris also possesses the body type San Francisco prefers for its boundary cornerbacks. Harris hasn’t shied away from tackling and is good in run defense, too.

Why Tim Harris Regresses

Despite the above traits, Harris also showed some issues recognizing more complex routes, and that won’t help his cause at the pro level. In many cases, he seems to be more reactive than acting with anticipation, which can be a big problem.

There’s also a lack of production, too, as Harris managed just two interceptions over his extended collegiate career and posted five-plus pass breakups just once during that elongated span.

And if Harris can’t stay healthy and on the field, he won’t have the chance to improve, either.

Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019

Harris has already been missing time during the Niners’ organized team activities, which isn’t a good sign. While these padless practices don’t necessarily mean everything for players on the roster bubble, they are highly important for first-year players and those on the fringes. Harris is one such player.

San Francisco is likely to keep six cornerbacks this season, and it’s a crowded spot despite some offseason additions, including Harris. It’s highly doubtful he’ll come close to unseating one of the presumed starters, such as Jason Verrett or Ahkello Witherspoon, and fighting for depth might be more of an uphill struggle as well.

One of the options the 49ers could pursue, however, is potentially placing Harris on the non-football injury list, therefore redshirting him his rookie season and seeing if there are workable traits worth developing in 2020.

That, or a spot on the practice squad, could be Harris’ best chance to hang around into next year.