The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver/tight end Jacob Harris to a contract. Harris spent the past weekend at Jaguars minicamp, trying out as a wide receiver and will now continue on with the franchise.
Harris was drafted by the Rams with the 141st pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Central Florida. At 6-foot-5 and around 210 pounds, Harris had a ton of potential coming out of college as his athletic measurements were off the charts. His Relative Athletic score ranked 31st out of more than 2,500 wide receivers tested since 1987.
Quite simply, Harris’ combination of size, speed and agility was something rarely seen and the Rams believed they could help him reach that potential. But Harris came into the league very raw as a receiver. In his last two seasons at Central Florida, Harris totaled 49 catches for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. Eight of those touchdowns came in his final season as he did begin to show some growth.
But for a Rams team focused on winning immediately, Harris did not show enough growth in the two years he was with the organization, being primarily a special teams player.
In two years with the Rams, Harris was on the field for 246 special teams snaps, compared to 16 on offense. He did catch the lone pass he was thrown last season for six yards and a first down. Perhaps with a new team, Harris will get more opportunity to contribute as a pass catcher in a way he was unable to with the Rams.
Harris’ outstanding athletic ability will always give him a chance, but eventually he will have to harness that potential into actual NFL production. This deal with the Jaguars will get him into training camp and allow him to compete for a roster spot, but that is far from guaranteed.
The Rams aren’t the deepest team when it comes to pass catchers. Cooper Kupp will be returning from injury, and Tyler Higbee is coming off a career year at tight end, but there remains question marks aside from him. Van Jefferson is the most accomplished and Ben Skowronek showed some flashes last season as well.
Additionally, the Rams did add a pair of pass catchers in the fifth round of this year’s draft in tight end Davis Allen out of Clemson and wide receiver Puka Nacua of BYU, so getting a closer look and working to develop made it easier to let Harris go.
