3 Reasons the Cleveland Browns had to sign Shelby Harris
By Josh Brown
Run Stuffing and a little more
Harris also gives the Browns another big body in the middle that excels at stopping the run. Over his career, Harris has been known for his ability to stuff the run.
Last year with the Seattle Seahawks, he posted the highest run grade of his career and was top 10 in run defense and run-stop percentage per Pro Football Focus.
"Harris didn’t quite show the pass-rush upside that he did during his years with the Broncos, but his first season in Seattle did allow him to post his best run-defense grade (76.9) since 2018. Among interior defensive linemen who played at least 50% of their team’s run defense snaps, Harris ranked top 10 in run-defense grade and run-stop percentage (9.4%)."
- By Jonathon Macri Feb 21, 2023
Most of that "pass rush upside" Harris showed early in his career was more about cleaning up than making his own opportunities. That's fine because he is on a line that will allow him to muddy the pocket and block off run lanes creating sacks for himself and others.
What the Browns need from Harris is to keep his missed tackle rate under ten percent as he has his entire career and make a few splash plays here and there.
Cleveland has Garrett, Smith, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, and even Tomlinson to help create pressure and rack up sacks. All Harris needs to do is go out there and be himself. Clog up the middle for the linebackers, drop a few running backs to the ground, and finish off a few sacks. If Harris can do all of that, this defense can be successful.