Durkin's Prospect Watch: OLB Eli Harold
By Dan Durkin—
(CBS) The strengths of the 2015 NFL Draft class are clear: edge rusher and wide receiver. As is always the case, a premium is put on players who can disrupt the passer, and there will likely be an early run on the edge rusher position in the first half of of the first round. That's not to say there won't be talent in the second wave.
Today we take a look at one of the prospects near the top of the second-tier of edge rushers: Virginia's Eli Harold.
OLB Eli Harold (6-foot-3, 247 pounds, 21, Virginia)
40-yard dash: 4.6
Three-cone: 7.07
Bench: 24
Vertical: 35"
Arm: 33"
Bio: Harold arrived in Charlottesville as a five-star defensive end recruit, but he also played quarterback, wide receiver and running back in a Wildcat offense at Ocean Lakes High School (Va.).
As a true freshman in 2012, Harold appeared in all 12 games, making one start. In limited snaps, he finished with seven tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and a forced fumble. In 2013, Harold became a full-time starter and led the team with 15 tackles for loss (sixth-best in ACC), eight-and-a-half sacks and two forced fumbles, good for all-sophomore second-team honors. This past season, Harold finished third in the ACC with 14.5 tackles for loss and sixth in the ACC with seven sacks, earning All-ACC second-team honors.
In all, Harold appeared in 36 games, making 25 starts, totaling 36.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
How he fits the Bears' scheme: Harold played as both a hand-on-the-ground defensive end in four-man lines and a stand-up rusher in nickel sub packages. He projects best as an outside linebacker in a 30-front at the NFL level.
Harold has a lightning-quick first step but must learn to bend the edge better in his rush lane. He has a tendency to rush in a straight line, taking himself out of the play. Harold has adequate change-of-direction skills and is explosive when shooting the gap on stunts. He has plus closing speed in the offensive backfield.
Harold converts speed to power off the edge and can be violent with his punch to strike and separate while getting his eyes in the backfield to diagnose the play. He's quick to counter with his hands but must develop a wider arsenal of pass rush moves, as he has issues disengaging. Currently, Harold uses simple slap-and-go and dip-and-rip moves, but he's more reliant on quick feet to win pass rush matchups. His spin move is effective -- he just doesn't use if frequently enough.
Harold's a willing-but-inconsistent edge setter against the run. His biggest impacts in the run game are on chase-in-space plays, as he's relentless in backside pursuit. He's a well-conditioned athlete who doesn't wear down late in games, showing full-speed effort for 60 minutes.
Harold will likely be more of a secondary pass rusher at the next level who will be most effective on a team with an established rusher who forces foes to slide or double team protection. His over-aggressiveness was used against him as teams schemed misdirection plays his way and let him run himself out of plays. Block recognition was an issue as well, as he was fooled on screens and frequently left his legs unprotected on chop and cut blocks.
Draft projection: Harold is a raw prospect, but his athletic upside and collegiate production makes him a late first-round or early second-round prospect.
Dan Durkin covers the Bears for CBSChicago.com and is a frequent contributor to 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter at @djdurkin.
