Subscribe to our newsletter
Search
Close this search box.

Malik Harrison, ILB, Ohio State

Share
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Name: Malik Harrison

Position: ILB

School: Ohio State

Year: Senior

2019 stats: 75 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks

Career stats: 205 tackles, 29 TFL, 9 sacks

Malik Harrison is a 6’3”, 247-lb ILB from Columbus, Ohio. At Ohio State, Harrison saw the field right away and appeared in twelve games as a freshman. As a senior, he was named to the First-Team All-Big Ten team.

Strengths

Harrison is a big, physical ILB who is at his best against the run. He is not at all afraid to come downhill and mix it up with offensive linemen. When taking on blocks, Harrison uses great technique and displays good hand placement. Harrison has the requisite length and more than enough strength to “stack and shed.”

As a tackler, Harrison brings a lot of power and rarely misses. Harrison is an effective blitzer who times snaps well and uses his burst to get through the line. He is a high-effort player and is always running to the football.

Best Trait: Physicality

[See All Our Prospect Profiles at Ravens Draft Central]

Weaknesses

Harrison’s athleticism, illustrated by great testing numbers at the NFL Combine, doesn’t always translate on tape. He doesn’t have sideline-to-sideline range. Harrison occasionally takes poor angles and doesn’t have the speed to recover. While his willingness to come downhill and take on blockers is typically a huge asset, it sometimes gets him caught looking against play action or misdirection.

Harrison is limited in coverage. He’s capable of the most basic zone drops, but not much more. At Ohio State, his coaches masked his limitations in coverage by using him frequently as a blitzer. 

Worst Trait: Cover Ability

Ravens Fit

With his size and willingness to take on blockers inside, Harrison projects best as a MIKE linebacker in the Ravens’ base 3-4 defense. He would be an asset to Wink Martindale’s defense as a force against the run. With only two ILBs (L.J. Fort and Chris Board) currently under contract, Harrison would be competing for playing time right away.

Harrison needs some time to develop his coverage ability. Until the time that he could be fully trusted in coverage, Harrison could be used as a blitzer or QB spy on obvious passing downs.

https://youtu.be/VWRko11vtlk

Player Comparison

Benardrick McKinney (HOU, 2015 – Present)

Like McMinney, Harrison is powerful, throwback ILB. Both players are big ILBs who are at their best coming downhill to play the run. Coming out of Mississippi State, McKinney was praised for his ability take on big offensive linemen, play through the block and make the tackle.

As prospects, both McKinney and Harrison had questions about their ability to be three-down players in the NFL. McKinney, who signed a five-year, $50 million contract extension with the Texans in June 2018, was second-team All-Pro in 2016 and made his first Pro Bowl in 2018.

Draft Grade

2nd Round

Malik Harrison should quickly become a starting ILB in the NFL. With great size and tackling ability, Harrison is a throwback to the “Thumper” ILB who may need time to develop into a true three-down player. Harrison has the potential to be one of the Top 5 ILBs selected and should go sometime on Day 2.

With the 60th pick in the draft, the Ravens have a decent chance of having the opportunity to select Harrison.

Odell Beckham Jr cartoon avatar OTL
Out To Lunch

OTL: OBJ Says Goodbye to Baltimore, Fields Heads to Pittsburgh

Top o’ the mornin’ Flock! Hope everybody is recovering nicely after the St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Let’s see what we missed with the Ravens and ...
Read More →
Front Office Podcast
Front Office

The Front Office: Free Agency Frenzy

The Ravens have lost several players to free agency and one via trade, while adding another big name and re-signing a few of their own ...
Read More →
Ennis Rakestraw JR
Defensive Back Prospects

Prospect Profile: Ennis Rakestraw Jr., CB, Missouri

Ennis Rakestraw Jr. CB Missouri 5-11 183 JR #2 ARM LENGTH: 32”//HAND SIZE: 8 1/2”//40YD: 4.51 //10YD: 1.54 VJ: DNP//BJ: 10’0” //BP: DNP//SS: DNP//3C: DNP ...
Read More →
Street Talk

The Weirdest NFL Phrases & Where They Come From

When it comes to the NFL, there are tons of unique phrases and terms used by broadcasters and analysts. From bull rush to icing the ...
Read More →
Street Talk

Flying High: The Baltimore Ravens Journey in the NFL

The National Football League (NFL) serves as a canvas where epic tales of athleticism, strategy, and spirit are painted every season. Among the teams that ...
Read More →
Baltimore Ravens 2023 season
Street Talk

The Must Dos Whilst in Baltimore

Whether you’re a die-hard Ravens fan, or just passing through, Baltimore has a special way of leaving its mark on you. This city, steeped in ...
Read More →
Join our newsletter and get 20% discount
Promotion nulla vitae elit libero a pharetra augue