With Matthew Stafford under center, Sean McVay has been seen a renaissance with his offensive scheme and it has powered the Los Angeles Rams to a 7-1 start during the 2021 season.
Stafford seemingly picked up the offense overnight and has shown major improvement from week to week, establishing a mind-meld with Cooper Kupp and connecting frequently on downfield throws.
Kupp, Robert Woods and emerging second-year player Van Jefferson have made for a productive receiver corps, but the Rams lost some firepower in the past week after Tutu Atwell was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury while DeSean Jackson was released following his request.
Fortunately, Los Angeles has other talented young players on the roster who can fill the void and Sean McVay highlighted Jacob Harris as a potential fill-in. Harris has been listed as a tight end since the Rams drafted him, but McVay clarified his position and even revealed he could have more of a role in the offense against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press:
Sean McVay says tight end Jacob Harris "is a receiver," and suggests he could play at WR more this weekend with no Tutu and no DeSean.
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) November 3, 2021
Harris was quick to make an impression during offseason training when he was seen taking first-team snaps, flashing the speed and athleticism that made it too hard for the Rams to pass up in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. During the preseason games, Harris was a go-to target in the red zone because of his size though it looked like he struggled in some areas of the receiving game.
So far, Harris has been primarily used on special teams but with Atwell and Jackson no longer on the active roster he has a chance to carve out a role for the rest of the season. It will be worth monitoring how many snaps he gets against the Titans and whether or not he can be a legitimate option for Stafford the rest of the year.
