It was a long road for Shelby Harris to reach the level he has for the Denver Broncos. His first two years were spent as an Oakland Raider after the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL draft.
When the Raiders released him, Harris spent some time with two other teams before the Broncos brought him in. Immediately, he made an impact in 2017.
In his first game with the Broncos, a Monday Night throwdown with the L.A. Chargers to open the season, Harris started. He recorded two tackles, both for a loss, and notched a quarterback hit.
However, the biggest play he had was a blocked field goal that would’ve been a game-winner for the Chargers. Making game-saving plays with his hands quickly became Harris' calling card.
Among defensive linemen in the NFL, Harris is the best at affecting the pass at the line of scrimmage with his hands. He does a tremendous job getting them up and clogging passing lanes, which leads to a lot of deflected passes. This played a large role in him garnering a big contract from the Broncos.
Harris has gotten better year after year in one area or another. His run defense has improved tremendously over the last couple of years as has his pass rush.
The constant improvement is great to see from Harris and hopefully, he can keep playing at a high level for a few more years as the Broncos work to develop defensive linemen behind him.
Be sure to check out the video above for a deep-dive on Harris' 2021 outlook!
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