Is Harrell the guy?

by Brad Wells on Apr 19, 2007 10:15 AM EDT in Colts Analysis

Justin Harrell will eat you!

So in both the SB Nation Mock Draft, the NFL Countdown Mock Draft Mock Draft DT Justin Harrell of Tennessee is going to the Colts. This probably means Polian will select a tight end or something seeing as everyone and their momma is predicting he'll go DT. I really haven't seen much of Harrell because I saw so very few Tennessee games this year (one actually, and Harrell didn't play). So, I decided that rather than read another silly draft profile about Harrell, I'd just ask the Tennessee Vols fans.

Rocky Top Talk is SB Nations Vols blog. Joel is one of the main writers there. He's kind enough to do a write-up of Harrell for us, but until that comes he had this to say about the Colts potential first round pick:

Harrell is beloved by the Tennessee faithful. He was on the tee for an exceptional year when he hurt his arm, and he sealed his status as a Tennessee legend when he decided to play one more game against one of our biggest rivals even with the season-ending injury.

I'd have to go back and look, but I can't remember any other injury, so I'm not sure durability is an issue, unless one injury makes it an issue.

His arm injury was a torn bicep tendon, which he played through. That's insane folks. Such an injury is very painful. It is certainly very possible Harrell might be gone by the time the #32 pick comes up. I know Chicago needs help at linebacker (especially since Lance Briggs might be heading out), but linebackers in a Cover 2 are replaceable. DTs aren't, and when Chicago lost Tommie Harris last season, their chances of winning a title went with him. The Super Bowl would have been a very different game had Harris played. Then again, if Reagor, Stokley, Simon, or Doss played, then the game would have been even more of a blowout in favor of the Colts.

Injuries happen. The where and when are key, and it's important to have quality depth at DT in a Cover 2. Such things really don't concern the fantsy football crowd. Skeller over at FakeTeams.com did a fantasy breakdown of the SB Nation Mock Draft. Here's his Colts breakdown:

32) Indianapolis - Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
It will be hard for Harrell to break into the starting lineup, the Colts are supposedly pretty good. The best you could expect is for Harrell to get some injury fill-in time, and that wouldn't be enough for him to worth a spot on your fantasy team.

Not sure I agree with Skeller here. Harrell could indeed play significant snaps, and even start. The Colts will rotate their d-line to match-up with a certain team. So, if the Colts faced, say, Jacksonville (who raped the Colts for almost 400 rushing yards in one game) the d-line might ideally have Harrell and Booger at the DTs with Freeney and Brock at DEs, with Mathis and Reid rotating in.

What seems clear is that if Harrell falls to Indy at #32, they should take him. If they don't, I will go Henry Rollins. If you want to see the most recent results of the SB Nation Mock Draft, view this chart provided by Mr. SeanYuille of POD. Oh, by the way, if you ever see a nice looking chart on this site, or really any site, chances are we stole it from Sean. He is the html design master!

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Comments

Harrell at 32

I actually doubt that Harrell will be taken by 32. He might not even be taken in the first half of the second round, but he'll definitely be gone by the end. I think Polian should and will inquire about trading down for 2 second round picks. We'll probably have to throw in another pick or two but it would give us a chance to acquire Harrell and Anthony Gonzales to add depth to the all important wr core. If Harrell is off the boards by the time we pick, i thinks theres a couple of other DTs that we can pick up that would fit in nicely to the system. But we do need a lot of quality players from this draft and a DT and WR would be nice additions.

by MCK on Apr 19, 2007 10:40 AM EDT reply actions

Agree

I think it is very possible the Colts will trade with someone and get a WR like Gonzalez or a DE/DT like Ambriami.

Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by Brad Wells on Apr 19, 2007 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Wish I could agree

about Harrell lasting that long, but I have serious doubts. And I know I've banged the drum for Harrell a couple of times now on this site, but I'm hearing a lot more buzz about him lately (in mock drafts, analyses of team needs etc.) Talking to rabid-football-fan-coworkers here in NYC has taught me that people know who this guy is, and any sort of under the radar thing is probably gone. With a serious dearth of 1st round talent after about the first 15 or so picks, I wouldn't be surprised to see somebody ahead of us take a flyer on a guy who would probably have been a top-10 pick if not for the injury. I hope I'm wrong. But if he falls to us, I'd snap him up.

by ctnyc on Apr 19, 2007 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Compensatory picks in rounds 3 and 4

In looking through Todd McShay's latest mock draft. I couldnt help but notice the colts have 3rd and 4th round compensation picks. I dont recall losing any restricted free agents. Where did these picks come from?

by aaronb on Apr 19, 2007 2:48 PM EDT reply actions

UM

It doesn't have to be restricted free agents. Edge and Thorton to name a couple.

by the21eraser on Apr 19, 2007 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Unrestricted Free Agents?

why the hell would the NFL award compensation picks for the colts losing those guys? What sense does that make?

by aaronb on Apr 20, 2007 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Harrell Info

Saw your inquiry about Justin on a Tennessee site. Justin played high school ball in my hometown, he's a great athlete and just as good off the field. The bicep is the only injury I know of, might have twisted an ankle but that's about it, I don't know where the durability questions come from, heck the guy played against Florida with the bicep injury. That's pretty durable where we come from. I think he would be a good pick for the Colts, he's not speedy like Freeney but he would compliment him well. When he went down this year our run D suffered. I posted something about him on Voluminous blog if you're interested. By the way, still alot of Colts fans in Titan country, glad Peyton's getting it done for you guys!

VOLPIMP

by VOLPIMP on Apr 20, 2007 9:56 PM EDT reply actions

Good Stuff PIMPDADDY

I bet we all would know the answer, if 18 was asked about his take on the Colts drafting a Vol.

"GO HORSE!"

by beester on Apr 22, 2007 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Vol #92

If Harrell becomes a Colt, I hope he can live up to his college number. That is, sack a lot of quarterbacks like Reggie White(who also wore that number at Tennessee.)

"GO HORSE!"

by beester on Apr 22, 2007 3:20 PM EDT reply actions

Harrell Update

While I don't see it as an issue, some guys I know that were in High School with Justin said that he did have a knee injury in High School. Apparently it was nothing serious or I'm sure UT would have shyed away from him. He was a TE on offense, and not a bad one at that. He's good, but whether he's #92 Reggie good or not will have to be determined, the closest we've had to Reggie lately was Big John Henderson or Darwin Walker. They are both doing pretty well in the league. I think UT fans are really just now starting to realize how special Peyton really was, he never missed a game after he was named starter that I remember, and with the exception of Florida he pretty much dominated everyone else. Nebraska did a number on him, and Memphis pulled a fluke upset, other than UF and Alabama once nobody else beat him as a starter. Pretty impressive.

VOLPIMP

by VOLPIMP on Apr 23, 2007 7:46 PM EDT reply actions