Roman Harper Draft Profile
ROMAN HARPER
Free Safety
University of Alabama Crimson Tide
#41
5:11.7-198
Prattville, Alabama
Prattville High School


OVERVIEW
A model of consistency throughout his career, Harper became known for his bone-jarring tackles with the Crimson Tide. He started his final 38 games at Alabama, ranking second among defensive backs and sixth overall on the school's career-record list with 302 tackles.

At Prattville High School, Harper played quarterback and free safety his senior season. On defense, he finished the season with 58 tackles and four interceptions in limited playing time due to a broken leg. As a quarterback, he accounted for more than 800 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns. He was an All-County, All-Metro and Birmingham News All-State pick. Prattville finished 9-2 on the season. Harper was offensive MVP for the Lions and was also voted team captain.

Harper redshirted in 2001 at Alabama. He appeared in every game as a reserve free safety in 2002, pacing the team's second unit defenders with 42 tackles (27 solos) with a pair of sacks, a fumble recovery and a pair of forced fumbles. Harper started every game at strong safety in 2003. He registered 114 tackles (79 solos) with an interception and fumble recovery. He joined linebackers Derrick Pope (105) and DeMeco Ryans (126) in becoming the first trio in school history to each record more than 100 tackles in the same season.

Harper earned All-Southeastern Conference second-team honors in 2004. He collected 77 tackles (45 solos) with a sack, seven stops for losses, three interceptions and four pass breakups after moving to free safety. He also caused a fumble and recovered two others. Harper elevated his play in 2005, picking up first-team All-SEC recognition. He led a unit that ranked first in scoring defense (10.67 ppg) and fifth in pass defense (160.75 ypg), as he was in on 69 tackles (38 solos), including nine stops behind the line of scrimmage, an interception and two forced fumbles.

Harper played in 49 games for Alabama, starting his final 38. He ranks sixth in school history with 302 tackles (189 solos), adding 3.5 sacks for minus-28 yards and 19 stops for losses of 56 yards. He intercepted five passes for 76 yards in returns and had fifteen pass deflections. He was credited with six quarterback pressures while causing five fumbles and recovering four others.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Has a muscular, linear frame with smooth upper body development, good bubble and hamstrings...Physical downhill performer with the strength to defeat blocks working along the line...Shows good field awareness keeping plays in front of him when working in the zone...Plays with good leverage, generating good pop on contact...Has good balance playing in space and uses his hands effectively to play off blocks...Has a good feel for handling switch-offs in the zone and does a good job of picking up the slot receiver playing underneath...Gets a good jump on the ball with his ability to properly read the quarterback...Has enough range to accelerate to the ball, compensating for a lack of blazing speed by taking good angles to shorten his closing burst...Makes plays on the ball with his natural hands and does a good job of getting his head turned to track the ball in flight...Fills the rush lanes with good urgency, doing a nice job of slipping off blocks and sifting through trash to locate the ball...Brings his arms and keeps his feet, generating the strength behind his hits to wrap and secure.

Negatives: Better playing in the zone, where he can keep plays in front of him rather than in man coverage...Has just adequate hip snap to turn coming out of his pedal, but is too high in his stance to generate immediate acceleration coming out of his breaks...Lacks explosive closing speed, compensating by taking proper angles to close...Controlled and physical tackler, but does not have the hand strength to match up and reroute bigger tight ends...Does not have the recovery burst to get back into the action once beaten on pass routes.

Harper is a productive athlete with valid instincts and above average ball anticipation skills. He compensates for a lack of ideal foot speed with the range and ability to take proper angles in attempts to close on the ball. He is a physical tackler with good urgency stepping up to support vs. the run. He shows good hand activity to defeat blocks and has enough functional strength to fill the alleys.

Harper's lack of burst and speed makes him a bit of a liability in man coverage. He lacks the ability to fly around, but he comes up quickly, and routinely puts himself in position to make plays. Harper is sound, but not fast in short area pass coverage. He gets good position in the zone and can run with a tight end, but is unable to run deep with a receiver. He trails well though and is capable of taking away easy throws.

When taking on ballcarriers, he squares up, and though not always a wrapper, he will strike with force and is a reliable tackler. He sorts out combination routes well and has good route recognition, taking good angles on the ball. He lacks an explosive closing burst though.

Harper gets too high in his backpedal, and though smooth in his turn, he lacks the speed to recover deep, but shows good range to the sideline. He is worth a look as an athlete who will play smart and has the toughness to contribute on special teams, but is a step too slow to develop into a starter.