New Orleans Saints undrafted rookie profiles: R.J. Harris

The New Orleans Saints landed thirteen undrafted rookie free agents after the conclusion of the NFL Draft. Each were brought in to fill out the 90-man roster for the upcoming season, and are set to compete in OTAs, mini camp, and eventuall training camp. Given the Saints documented success with undrafted players, some have a real chance to crack the final squad.

Today we look at one of those said players, wide receiver R.J. Harris.

Harris played his college ball at the University of New Hampshire, which is a Division I-AA school. He played four years for the Wildcats, totaling 310 receptions for 4,328 yards. Harris also racked up 36 touchdowns, and had career highs during his senior year in receptions (100), yardage (1,551), and touchdowns (15). He’s the CAA’s all-time leading receiver in receptions, and NFL Draft Scout had him pegged as their 67th highest receiver.

Pro Day Results

Height: 6’0″

Weight: 191 pounds

40-Yard Dash: 4.51/4.53 seconds

Broad Jump: 10-foot-7

Vertical Jump: 37 1/2″

Bench Reps: 18

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.20 seconds

3-Cone Drill: 7.23 seconds

Local Louisiana residents might remember Harris back in 2013, when the Wildcats came to Hammond, Louisiana to take on the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Strawberry Stadium for the NCAA Division I quarterfinals on December 14. It was R.J. Harris who lit up the Lions secondary, finishing with 11 receptions for 110 yards. The Wildcats would ultimately prevail over the Lions 20-17, thanks to a last minute rushing touchdown.

Harris drew a lot of outside interest. Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, and a host of others were intrigued by Harris. He did plenty to raise his stock during his pro day. Ultimately, the New Orleans Saints dangled an appetizing carrot in front of him to make him head down south.

Here’s some of the things NFL.com had to say in his draft profile:

"At his best down the field. Adequate deep speed with good concentration and ball tracking. Doesn’t let defenders crowd him against sideline downfield. Creates space for himself and is able to adjust to the ball and finish tough catches. High-point catcher with good hand strength. Has some shiftiness to his game after the catch and is able to create yardage with bouncy short-area quickness. Consistently productive. Went for more than 100 yards receiving and at least one touchdown in eight of his first nine games in 2014."

As I previously wrote this morning, Harris is entering into one of the most intriguing positional battles of the New Orleans Saints offseason. Harris is one of two prospects brought in from the University of New Hampshire, and given the track record of the Saints knack for finding talent, this could be a great pairing.

Here’s some highlights to let you know what Harris is capable of. Sure hands, ball location, and versatility are just some of the traits that come to mind when I watch these.

I was able to ask R.J. Harris about being paired with the black and gold, and he said, “I’d like to stress just how excited I am to get to work, and for this opportunity I have.”

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