Jermari Harris CB Iowa | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Jermari Harris CB Iowa
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
ROLE: Outside Zone CB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Draft Year: 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 time: 4.56 seconds (25%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Age: 24.6 DOB: 09/19/2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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ROLE: Outside Zone CB | |
Last Updated: 03/19/2025 | |
Draft Year: 2025 | |
40 time: 4.56 seconds (25%*) | |
Age: 24.6 DOB: 09/19/2000 | |
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Overall Rating: | 78.1 / 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. | ||
QB Rating When targeted: | 65.9 | |
Tackling: |
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51% |
Run Defense: |
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66% |
Coverage: |
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83% |
Zone: |
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80% |
Man/Press: |
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82% |
DRAFT PROJECTION:
7th
Overall Rank:
#228
Position rank:
#40
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College Games: 38 College Snaps: 1902 | ||
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Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
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Tyrique Stevenson - Miami |
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81% |
Jarrian Jones - Florida State |
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81% |
Nehemiah Pritchett - Auburn |
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78% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Jermari Harris a Montini Catholic standout brought a diverse athletic background to Iowa City, having won a state basketball championship and excelled in track before choosing football as his future. Despite modest recruiting rankings as a three-star prospect, Harris arrived at Iowa in 2019 ready to embrace the program's renowned defensive tradition, though few could have predicted the winding journey ahead.The 6'0", 185-pound corner's college career reads like a masterclass in perseverance. After earning his stripes on special teams as a freshman, Harris steadily climbed the depth chart, eventually breaking through in 2021 with four interceptions in his first six starts. That momentum came to a grinding halt when ankle surgery wiped out his entire 2022 campaign, but Harris responded with a vengeance. His successful return in 2023 earned him Iowa's Comeback Player of the Year award, as he led the team with eight pass breakups while re-establishing himself as a cornerstone of the Hawkeyes' secondary.
The 2024 season saw Harris elevate his game to new heights, earning Third-Team All-Big Ten honors from both coaches and media. His playmaking ability shone through with three interceptions, including a momentum-shifting pick-six against Troy that earned him Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week recognition. Though he opted to end his season early after 10 starts to prepare for the NFL draft, Harris had already cemented his legacy with 27 career starts and eight interceptions, proving himself against the Big Ten's top receivers week after week.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Natural ball hawk with exceptional zone instincts. Shows rare anticipation jumping routes and has consistently proven his ability to flip the field with eight career interceptions.
- Veteran-level processor who sees route combinations develop before they happen. Consistently baits quarterbacks into throws he can attack, particularly in quarters coverage.
- Uses length masterfully in press coverage with a devastating one-arm stab. Controls receiver releases without drawing flags - remarkable discipline with only two penalties in his career.
- Elite football IQ developed through six seasons in Iowa's NFL-style defense. Understands leverage points and how to squeeze receivers into his help.
- Quick-twitch athlete in short areas who shows sudden movement matching releases. Changes direction explosively when the ball is in front of him.
- Special teams ace who brings immediate value on multiple units. Shows the same competitive fire covering kicks as he does at corner.
- Patient technician in press coverage who rarely gets beat over the top. Maintains excellent outside leverage and rides receivers up the stem.
- Advanced route recognition allows him to jump underneath patterns. Consistently shows up in big moments with game-changing plays on the ball.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Concerning tackler who relies too heavily on arm tackles. Fails to break down in space and shows hesitation when required to navigate through traffic.
- Build-up speed player who can struggle to recover if beaten early. Lacks the elite burst to match up with true burners on vertical routes.
- Shows some stiffness transitioning out of his backpedal. Extra gather step when flipping hips creates separation windows on quick-breaking routes.
- Gets caught peeking in the backfield too often in zone. Several examples of receivers working into blind spots when he loses discipline reading the quarterback.
- Medical history raises red flags after multiple surgeries. Age and durability concerns could impact draft stock significantly.
Scouting Report: Summary
In an NFL increasingly dominated by hybrid coverages and pattern-matching schemes, Harris brings a specialized skill set that demands the right landing spot. His instincts in zone coverage and ability to bait quarterbacks into mistakes make him a natural fit for teams running quarters-based systems. The ball production and route recognition jump off the tape, particularly when he's allowed to keep his eyes on the quarterback and play top-down on routes. What he might lack in pure athleticism, he more than makes up for with his ability to process route combinations and squeeze throwing windows.Teams running primarily Cover 2 or quarters concepts should have Harris circled on their draft boards. His length and technical refinement in press coverage translate perfectly to cloud corner responsibilities, where he can jam receivers before settling into his zone. While his transition speed and tackling concerns might limit his ceiling as an every-down man corner, Harris shows all the tools to develop into a reliable starter in a defense that plays to his strengths. His veteran savvy dealing with route combinations and consistently clean technique give him a higher floor than most Day 3 cornerbacks.
The team that drafts Harris will be getting a pro-ready defensive back who can contribute on multiple special teams units while developing into a starting role. His football intelligence and proven track record against top competition suggest he'll pick up NFL coverage concepts quickly. Smart defensive coordinators will recognize his strengths and deploy him strategically – letting him read and react in zone, using his length in press, and protecting him from unfavorable matchups against elite speed receivers. In the right system, Harris has the tools to outperform his draft position and become a valuable piece of an NFL secondary.
Jermari Harris percentiles vs other Cornerbacks (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Jermari Harris (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
223.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
50.0
*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.