Anthony Harris had a big 2019 season, but not so much last year. Which one are the Eagles getting? | Film review

Anthony Harris was good in 2019, and not so good in 2020. That seemed to be the general assessment of the new Eagles safety’s last two seasons with the Vikings, and not just from ambiguous evaluation websites like Pro Football Focus.

Minnesota, after all, allowed Harris to leave via free agency after using their franchise tag on him the year before. And the rest of the NFL — at least teams looking for safeties — felt similarly as the 29-year old was forced to take a significant reduction in pay and signed a below-market 1-year contract for $5 million.

Harris didn’t dispute the notion during his introductory news conference that his play had slipped. The Vikings, overall, had a rough season and coach Mike Zimmer’s defense, typically one of the more sound in the league, was a prominent reason why.

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But Harris individually wasn’t the same either. He got burned for touchdowns, missed tackles, and after notching seven interceptions in 2019, had zero in 2020.

“I’m not quite sure,” Harris said Tuesday when asked about the regression. “Sometimes you work really hard to get to a situation or prepare yourself as much as possible and things just don’t work out.”

Harris also mentioned the pandemic and the restrictions it placed on teams as another cause for the struggles. What he didn’t introduce was how turnover at cornerback may have affected his performance. The Vikings lost starting outside cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes to free agency, and with young replacements, Harris’ responsibilities shifted.

The Vikings, partially as a result, played more Cover 2 zone coverage, which didn’t always play to Harris’ strengths. He wasn’t around the ball as much, as evidenced by the drop in picks and pass breakups from 11 to 7.

“In terms of what I did in my past, whether that’s seven interceptions in a season or [zero] interceptions, it’s just ultimately going out and playing good football,” Harris said. “Being in the right place, taking advantage of opportunities when opportunities are there.”

It’s unclear how new Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon plans to employ Harris. He was the Vikings’ primary post safety while Harrison Smith played closer to the box. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Harris did his share of moving around near the line vs. the run or in the slot opposite tight ends. But the post, typically in single high looks, is where he thrived.

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The Eagles have had the same post safety in Rodney McLeod the last five years. He may not be ready by the season opener after tearing his ACL in December. But even if he is, McLeod and Harris should be able to share duties if Gannon envisions more of a 50-50 split.

Harris and McLeod have similarities beyond their positions. They both attended Virginia and spent a year together. Both also went undrafted — McLeod, unlike Harris, was a converted corner — and would have to earn their way into starting roles.

“He was a big mentor for me,” Harris said of McLeod, who was a senior when he arrived in Charlottesville.

Harris’ collegiate career, in some ways, mirrors that of his pro career. He led the nation in interceptions with eight as a junior and was a preseason All-American heading into his final year. But he had only two as a senior, which may have affected his draft stock.

“That’s part of my story, just taking the underdog mentality,” Harris said. “Just carving out and working hard for everything I’ve been able to receive.”

Harris didn’t become a full-time starter in the NFL until midway through his fourth season. But the following year is when he put his stamp on the position. He was instinctive, aggressive and productive. The following season, not so much. What happened? Here’s a closer look at the film:

Starting safeties aren’t as differential as they once were. With the advances made in the passing game with shifts and motions, and the need to disguise pre-snap, defensive coordinators typically want interchangeable parts.

But there can be an imbalance based upon a player’s skill set.

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“In Minnesota’s system, I had to be interchangeable, much as I anticipate probably being here.” Harris said. “The more ... versatility you have, the more that schemes and coaches are able to utilize you. Oftentimes I played in the deep post.”

Gannon spent three years with Harris when he was an assistant with the Vikings from 2015-17. But it’s unclear how he plans to use him, or even what his scheme will look like. A lot will depend on how offenses attack the Eagles. But every secondary utilizes a single-high safety, whether in man or zone coverage.

Harris (No. 41) isn’t necessarily explosive. But he’s quick enough and can compensate with anticipation. In this wild card playoff game against the Saints in 2019, he did a remarkable job getting deep to help on a post route, turning back and locating a Drew Brees heave for an interception:

Harris doesn’t exactly lay the lumber, but the NFL’s increasing restrictions on contact have made big hits almost obsolete. He will police the middle, though, and deliver legal blows when necessary, as he did here last year when he knocked the ball loose from a Falcons receiver. What may have been most impressive about the play was how he used his positioning and eyes to force quarterback Matt Ryan (No. 2) to go to his third read:

Post safeties need to be smart, communicative and quick-thinking. Most are responsible for setting the secondary. They also need to cover a lot of ground and clean up messes. A fair number of Harris’ tackles — he had 104 last year; 60 the year before — came when rushes or short passes broke into the secondary.

“You can talk schemes and being put in position, but once the ball is snapped and those things go out the window, at the end of the day, it’s just all about effort,” Harris said of his increase in tackles. “That want-to of just being the first there, and if the first there, making sure you get there before the whistle is blown.”

It’s not a glamorous part of the job. One false step and you could be chasing a ball carrier. For the most part, Harris is a reliable tackler. But in the final game of last season, Harris hesitated when the Lions’ Adrian Peterson (No. 28) cut through a hole and he was caught on his heels:

The Vikings played more Cover 2 in 2020 to account for the inexperience of their corners. Harris would provide help over top in two-deep, but he seemed to struggle in zone looks, especially early on. In Week 1, he got beat for a touchdown when Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (No. 12) extended a play.

Harris appeared to be pointing to the corner to run with receiver Devante Adams (No. 17) as he broke off his route. But the corner had the underneath and Harris lost Adams:

Some of Harris’ issues in zones like Cover 4 — which the Vikings played a lot of — stemmed from poor technique. He’d get turned around on an out route or double move and wouldn’t be able to recover. Here are several examples:

No player is perfect. Safeties are often forced into do-or-die consequences vs. route concepts. Harris, though, is considered a reliable, technically sound cover safety. Later in the game vs. the Lions, he was pressed by two deep vertical routes. The dig got him to turn, but he recovered and broke up the post:

Harris had mixed results against the deep pass last season, but he excelled when tasked with making downhill stops. The Vikings did a lot of pre-snap disguising with their safeties and on this play against the Colts, Smith dropped into the post while Harris crashed and kept a catch to a short gain:

His eyes and instincts give him an advantage over many other safeties. On this play vs. Detroit, he didn’t bite on the play action, flowed with the boot leg and came up for the tackle:

He did well against the run, especially from depth. Harris doesn’t exactly run to the ball with his head on fire, but he’s disciplined and can get from Point A to B as he did on this tackle for loss vs. the Jaguars:

Harris didn’t play much in the box for a reason. He’s better in space. But he can take on blockers when asked. Here he was in 2019 shedding a tight end and dropping a Chargers running back in the backfield:

Here he was in 2020 using a quick first step to get inside a blocker and assist on a TFL:

Most of Harris’ interceptions in 2019 came from the post, but one of his more athletic plays came in the box against the Falcons. Here he was back peddling into the middle, keeping his eyes on Ryan and leaping for a pick:

With quarters zone coverage safeties are going to sometimes be soloed against receivers. Harris showed solid cover skills when matched vs. tight ends, as he did here in 2019 against the Lions’ T.J. Hockenson (No. 88) when he broke up a pass:

But sometimes a slot receiver may be the assignment. Here he was running with the Bears’ Anthony Miller (No. 17) and knocking the ball away: