The Los Angeles Rams missed an opportunity to see what Jacob Harris could do in his rookie year after suffering an ACL and MCL injury during the 2021 season.
A fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Harris displayed freaking athleticism and speed at Purdue which made him an intriguing fit in head coach Sean McVay’s offense. Harris was originally drafted as a tight end, but this summer he officially made the switch over to wide receiver.
However, training camp has not been kind to the receiver room as Van Jefferson is expected to miss the remainder of camp after undergoing a knee procedure. Harris figured to earn more reps at receiver, but now he is set to miss time as McVay announced he is dealing with a groin injury, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Rams head coach Sean McVay said WR Jacob Harris has "a little groin strain" and is expected to miss a couple weeks.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) August 4, 2022
While the injury is not considered serious, it’s an unfortunate setback for Harris, who was primed for more opportunities with Jefferson sidelined. Harris was a frequent target for the Rams in the red zone during last year’s preseason slate and that figures to be his role again when he’s healthy.
Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson will be Matthew Stafford’s primary targets in the offense, but young players like Harris have a real shot to earn more playing time and make an impact. The newly converted wideout has reportedly been doing well picking up nuances of the position, but the groin injury will put a damper on some of the progress he’s made. Hopefully he’s able to return soon and get a shot at cracking the regular rotation.
