Derrick Harmon DT Oregon | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Derrick Harmon DT Oregon
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 02/08/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 5.10 seconds (52%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 02/08/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2025 | |
| 40 time: 5.10 seconds (52%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 87.3 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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81% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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39% |
| Pass Rush: |
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90% |
| Run Defense: |
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87% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Late
Overall Rank:
#26
Position rank:
#11
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| College Games: 42 College Snaps: 1570 | ||
ESPN RATING: 77/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 86/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.5 (90%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Keeanu Benton - Wisconsin |
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71% |
| Bryan Bresee - Clemson |
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62% |
| DeMarvin Leal - Texas A&M |
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61% |
Draft Profile: Bio
The path to becoming an NFL ready talent rarely follows a straight line, and Derrick Harmon's journey from Detroit's Loyola High School to potential NFL impact player embodies that truth. After three developmental seasons at Michigan State, Harmon bet on himself by entering the transfer portal and landing at Oregon, where he transformed from rotational piece to defensive cornerstone. The 6'5", 310-pound interior defender turned heads immediately in Eugene, racking up 5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss while anchoring one of college football's most dominant defensive fronts during Oregon's historic 13-0 run to the Big Ten title.His rise from three-star recruit to All-Big Ten performer speaks to both his work ethic and untapped potential. At Michigan State, Harmon showed flashes while collecting 3.5 sacks and 105 tackles for loss across 28 games, but his one season as a Duck revealed a completely different animal. The lightbulb didn't just come on – it exploded. Beyond the counting stats, Harmon's 39 quarterback hurries tell the story of a defender who lived in opposing backfields. His combination of first-step quickness and raw power had offensive coordinators adjusting protection schemes and quarterbacks seeing ghosts.
What makes Harmon's emergence even more impressive is how he dominated despite facing constant double teams in the run game. The Detroit native proved equally adept at penetrating gaps as a pass rusher and anchoring against combo blocks, showcasing the scheme versatility pro teams covet. His performance against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal – consistently winning one-on-one matchups against future NFL linemen – solidified his status as a top-50 prospect.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Displays thunderous hands that enable him to consistently win the leverage battle at the point of attack
- Natural power player who brings elite upper body strength and core stability, making him a nightmare for centers trying to reach block or guards attempting to drive block
- Developed a devastating rip move that, combined with his length, gives him three-down potential - showed this repeatedly against UCLA's veteran offensive line
- Outstanding spatial awareness and play recognition skills let him diagnose plays pre-snap, often beating blockers to their spot and disrupting timing
- Nasty bull rush that collapses pockets from the interior, displayed particularly well against Washington's pass-heavy attack in the conference title game
- Shows some real dog in him when teams try to reach block - will fight through contact to maintain gap integrity while working down the line
- Quick processor who excels at reading blocking schemes and adjusting on the fly, especially effective against zone running attacks
- Natural leverage player despite his height - consistently gets under opponent's pads and drives them into the backfield
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Still developing consistency in his tackling technique - will sometimes rely too much on arm tackles instead of bringing his lower body through contact
- Can get overaggressive pursuing the quarterback, occasionally running himself out of plays when he loses containment responsibilities
- Needs to expand his counter-move arsenal as a pass rusher - tends to get stuck on blocks when initial move is stalled
- Will occasionally play too high coming off the snap, especially when fatigued late in games, allowing blockers to get into his chest
- Motor ran hot and cold during Michigan State tenure, though this largely disappeared during his breakout season at Oregon
Scouting Report: Summary
After studying every snap of Harmon's 2024 campaign, the tape reveals a defensive tackle with legitimate NFL starter potential. His transformation from Michigan State to Oregon wasn't just about better coaching or a scheme change – the natural power and explosiveness were always present, but now they're weaponized. The way he consistently won one-on-one matchups against Ohio State's interior line in the playoff highlighted both his ceiling and his remaining development needs. When his technique matches his physical tools, he can take over a series.The film shows Harmon thriving as a 3-technique in an attacking front where he can fire off the ball and use his explosive first step. When teams tried running zone schemes his way, he frequently disrupted the mesh point by getting vertical, though his occasional over-aggression led to some cutback lanes. The Browns, Ravens, and Jets – teams that emphasize penetrating interior defenders while having the defensive structure to cover for some rawness – would maximize his strengths early while developing his consistency. His snap-to-snap intensity still wavers at times, but the flashes are impossible to ignore.
The one-year wonder narrative deserves consideration, but it shouldn't overshadow the clear development arc. The traits that made Harmon effective at Oregon – the natural power, the heavy hands, the quick processor – were evident at Michigan State, just less refined. He's not a finished product, and expecting immediate Pro Bowl impact would be ambitious. However, he's shown enough on film to project as a quality starter with legitimate high-end potential if his technical development continues on its current trajectory.
How other scouting services rate Derrick Harmon (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
30.8
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
10.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.