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Scouting report on Erik Harris, the Saints’ latest CFL import

The Saints went back to Canada and this time brought back a player without a clearly defined position.

Look around at various publications and official websites and you’ll see Erik Harris listed as a safety in some places and as a linebacker in others. With 4.57 speed, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder has the athletic ability to play both and could end up being a hybrid player in the NFL.

Harris used that size and speed to create seven turnovers and record 27 special-teams tackles over three years in the CFL, which gives him some versatility entering the NFL.

But while Harris’ fit with New Orleans is yet to be determined, John Murphy, vice president of player personnel and football operations for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, believes the versatile defender’s future in the NFL lies at linebacker and on special teams.

“Kind of a nickel linebacker type guy, potentially,” Murphy said, noting that outside linebackers in the CFL often have to cover a greater portion of the field than their NFL counterparts. “He’s not a pure safety. He’s not going to be a pure coverage guy. I think it’s not as a safety. I think it’s as that undersized linebacker, a pass coverage guy. He runs better than people think.”
Scouting report on Erik Harris, the Saints’ latest CFL import | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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