Kelvin Harmon – The Draft’s Biggest Sleeper?
Kelvin Harmon is not a guy that a lot of people are talking about. But there’s reason to keep an eye on the North Carolina State product. The tall and lean receiver made a living making big plays for Wolfpack, and established himself as one of the Atlantic Coastal Conference’s most dominant wide receivers. Despite his obvious talent and outstanding performance at NC State, Harmon is being overshadowed by the bigger name prospects. Clubs cannot afford to overlook Harmon, though, as he is the draft class’ biggest sleeper. That being said, should the Baltimore Ravens pursue him?
Here are his combine stats and measurables:
- Height – 6’2”
- Weight – 221 lbs
- Arms – 31 1/2″
- Hands – 9 1/2”
- 40-yard dash – 4.6 s
- Bench press reps – 18 reps
- Vertical jump – 32.5”
- Broad jump – 117.0”
- 3 cone drill – 7.15 s
- 20-yard shuttle – 4.32 s
Strengths
Kelvin Harmon uses his size to specialize in one area, the sideline. Kelvin Harmon is a monster on the sideline and consistently makes amazing catch after amazing catch in that typically troublesome area. Whether he has to adjust to a poor throw, or just sit back and catch a bullet, Harmon will almost always make the catch. At 6’2″, he has the height available to him to go above defenders. Even though he tested disappointingly with only 32.5″ in the vertical jump at the NFL Combine, Harmon is still able to get high in game.
Harmon is a solid catcher as well. Being a wide receiver requires him to be consistent in this category, and he is. Whether the ball is on target for an easy catch or contested, Harmon usually comes down with it, so long as he keeps his technique in check. Harmon is best when using two hands, and often struggles when he needs to make a one-handed catch. Harmon also demonstrates decent blocking ability, although the tape did not frequently show him attempting to block. If Harmon can build on the success shown in the tape at blocking, he could fit the Ravens offense tremendously well in 2019 and beyond.
Weaknesses
Despite Harmon’s talents, he does have weaknesses that need to be addressed at the NFL level. As previously mentioned, Harmon is not the type of player to make spectacular, one-handed, Odell Beckham-like grabs. This is not that big of a deal, as he does a very good job of catching the ball with two hands, but it could become a problem if faced with an inaccurate passer. Furthermore, he will see tighter coverage in the NFL, and may only have the option of catching with one hand on certain plays. Harmon is not very fast either. His 4.6 s 40-yard dash time is decent, but paired with his slow acceleration off the line, it can take him a while to hit that top speed. Because of his speed issues, Harmon is not the type of receiver that is going to rack up the run after catch yards. He will not be getting many yards after contact either, as he has trouble powering through defenders.
Impressions
Kelvin Harmon does one thing very well. And that is catch sideline passes. In the collegiate level, he made play after play in that zone, with catches that would count in both the NFL and NCAA. Harmon is a great receiver with tons of potential. His masterful specialization in one area yields him the ability branch out once he hits the next level, and focus on other aspects of his game. If he can become a bit more powerful, or a bit quicker off the line, Harmon would be an extremely dangerous wide receiver to face in the NFL.
Grade – 7.2/10.0 – Mid second round pick.
Should the Ravens Draft Kelvin Harmon?
It would be very difficult for the Baltimore Ravens to acquire Kelvin Harmon. Baltimore currently sits with one pick in the first round, and two picks in the third round, but none in the second where I suspect he will be picked. Harmon could creep into the back end of the first round, but to draft him at 22 would be an uncharacteristic reach for Baltimore. The Ravens will need to trade down to acquire the capital to enter the second round of the draft. If Baltimore does this and did not already select a wide receiver by the time they can pick Harmon, the Ravens should pull the trigger and take the biggest sleeper of the draft.
