The Falcons announced today that they have signed their third-round pick Zach Harrison to his rookie contract.
According to Over The Cap, Harrison’s contract is expected to be worth about $5.5 million.
The former Ohio State Buckeye is an exciting prospect, given his build an athletic traits. He was a highly-touted recruit for a reason but failed to really develop into one of the premier pass rushers that Ohio State is known for breeding into the NFL. Still, despite only having 3.5 sacks a year ago for the Buckeyes, he led the team in pressures, per the Atlanta Falcons team website.
I’m optimistic for the future of Harrison, and like most fans, I’m thrilled to have another pass rusher in the building, especially one with so much talent. However, everyone needs to temper their expectations for Harrison as a rookie. He will be a rotational player at best, and I don’t expect him to see many snaps, but that doesn’t mean his first year in the NFL will be a failure.
For the first time in forever, the Falcons are poised to have a competent defensive line. There are a multitude of veterans for Harrison to learn from, and that will be his primary goal in 2023. The hope is that he can take those lessons and develop into more of a contributor in 2024 and beyond when many of these veterans exit the building.
More must-reads: