Ex-Gamecock RB, SEC rushing leader Kevin Harris drafted by Patriots
The first South Carolina running back is off the board.
Former Gamecocks tailback Kevin Harris was selected Saturday in the sixth round and No. 183 overall by the New England Patriots in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Harris heads to the NFL after a career in Columbia that reached incredible highs and its share of lows. He finished the 2020 season as the Southeastern Conference’s leading rusher, racing to 1,138 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 10 games.
However, offseason back surgery limited Harris’ production in 2021. He missed South Carolina’s season opener against Eastern Illinois and didn’t participate in contact activity until his first carry of the East Carolina game in Week 2, he told The State earlier this year.
“The back injury is an important part of Harris’ evaluation and will be interpreted differently by each team,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler told The State. “He doesn’t have the creativity or burst as a runner, regardless if you’re studying the 2020 or 2021 tape. But his run strength and balance while keeping his pads square to the line are positives to his game. Regardless, he needs to be more consistent on passing downs to make it in the NFL.”
Harris worked his way back to full health and fitness by season’s end, running for 128 yards in a win over Florida and and another 182 yards and a touchdown in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl victory against North Carolina.
The Georgia native tested well during his appearance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Harris finishing second out of the 32 running backs that participated in the vertical jump with a 38.5-inch mark. His 10-foot, 6-inch broad jump also ranked third out of 30 rushers who took part the drill in Indianapolis.
Harris told The State he had met with roughly 25 NFL teams during that week, while his camp had received indications he could be as high as a late Day 2 or Day 3 pick — somewhere between the third and fifth rounds — in this week’s NFL Draft.
This story was originally published April 30, 2022 at 3:53 PM.
