Damien Harris selected by New England Patriots in third round of NFL Draft

There’s another Alabama back off the board. Damien Harris became the fifth former Crimson Tide player to hear his name called during this year’s NFL Draft when he was selected by the New England Patriots with the No. 87 overall pick in the third round.

Harris joins defensive lineman Quinnen Williams (No. 3 overall, New York Jets), offensive lineman Jonah Williams (No. 11 overall, Cincinnati Bengals), running back Josh Jacobs (No. 24 overall, Oakland Raiders) and tight end Irv Smith Jr. (No. 50 overall, Minnesota Vikings) who were selected earlier in the draft.

Harris has led Alabama in rushing the past three years, including running for 876 yards and nine touchdowns on 150 carries last season. After posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Harris saw a slight dip in production last year but still averaged a respectable 5.84 yards per carry while sharing touches in a crowded backfield. Harris is one of just eight Alabama running backs to amass 3,000 rushing yards in his college career, finishing with 3,070 over his four years in Tuscaloosa, Ala. His 6.4 yards per carry over 477 career carries is a program best for rushers with at least 400 carries.

On top of his running ability, Harris also proved to be a versatile option out of the backfield. He led all Alabama backs with 22 receptions while tallying 204 yards through the air. The 5-foot-10, 216-pound back was selected to the All-SEC second team by the conference coaches and named a permanent team captain by his teammates. A former five-star recruit, Harris came to Alabama as the No. 8 player overall and No. 1 running back in the 2015 class.

“Disciplined and rugged with a very strong sense of who he is as a running back,” NFL,com draft analyst Lance Zierlein said of Harris. “He operates with a good feel for blocking schemes and finds the designed yards while adding extra with his power and some elusiveness. He lacks game-breaking juice as a runner and will need to keep his weight down or he'll end up in the "grinder" category of runners. Harris is more likely to be good than great as a pro, but his size, every-down game and ball security give him a chance to have fruitful career as a solid starter.”