Getty Will Harris makes a tackle against Washington in 2020.
The training camp and preseason period can be a big time for players to impress on the field, and there’s been some surprises in that vein for the Detroit Lions as they set their sights on 2021.
Detroit has the opportunity to find some players at some spots to do some bigger things on the field, and one of the spots where there figures to be plenty of this growth is in the defensive backfield. The good news? Already, the team has seen some major growth at those spots during the lead in to the season.
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Detroit coach Dan Campbell spoke with the media on Thursday September 2 breaking down the preseason and training camp, and when he was talking about a redone and resurgent secondary, he name-dropped a few surprising players in terms of standouts for the roster this season that have taken off during camp.
“It is a young secondary, but those corners are coming along pretty good. Will Harris and Tracy (Walker), they’ve had pretty good camps now. Will may have grown. Will and Amani (Oruwariye) may have had two of the best camps of anybody on our roster as a matter of fact,” Campbell told the media.
Given the struggles of the team’s backfield in the last few seasons, seeing a pair of young draft picks transforming into bigger role players would be huge. To that end, Campbell’s words are interesting, and Lions fans have some hope when they see what Harris and Oruwariye can do on the field together in 2021.
Harris’s Career Stats and Highlights
His first few years in the league, Harris has not been a player who has made a huge impact in the NFL. In fact, the Lions have seen Harris only put up modest stats for the team. He’s collected 78 tackles, 1 sack and 4 passes defended for the team while playing in the NFL. Harris hasn’t seen the field consistently, and has struggled with his own consistency when he has.
In college, Harris put up 225 tackles, 7 interceptions 7 passes defended, 1 touchdown and 1 sack. That was great production that showed what he could do and helped him become a third-round pick of the Lions. Here’s a look at some of his best work from that time period:
Getting Harris to that point in the NFL would be huge for the team, so haring about his potential development is huge to note.
Oruwariye’s Career Stats and Highlights
During the 2019 season as he started into the league, Oruwariye didn’t do much statistically for the team early on as he battled a knee injury most of the early part of the year, and as a result, his stats weren’t that robust. Oruwariye finished 2019 with 2 interceptions and 19 tackles for the Lions, but has been a player who has delivered before given his work in college. During the 2020 season on the field, he has 53 tackles, 1 interception and 7 passes defended, meaning he was easily able to eclipse his statistical work from last season, setting him on a good trajectory for the future.
While playing for Penn State, Oruwariye put up 108 tackles and 8 interceptions while scoring 1 touchdown. Obviously, the Lions have to hope that as he comes along, Oruwariye can manage to become the ball hawk he was for the Nittany Lions for years. Here’s a look at some highlights:
So far in Detroit, he’s shown an ability to step up and stick in coverage which is great news for the Lions. If they can get Oruwariye and Harris teaming up to play great football in a needy defensive backfield, the team will be in excellent shape moving forward this season.
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