Saints Player Rankings: Pro Bowler Deonte Harris comes in at No. 20
By Sean Nief
Why Harris Is Ranked This High
In a week three matchup in Seattle, the Saints were facing an unfamiliar predicament without the presence of their usual starting quarterback Drew Brees but they found hope in Harris.
Early in the first quarter, Harris returned a punt for 53 yards for the first punt return touchdown of his career. This was also the first punt returned for a touchdown by any player in the 2019-2020 season, cementing Harris as a special player that season.
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Despite not receiving a special teams player of the week honor for this performance, Harris’ accolades were recognized at the end of the season.
In only his first year as a pro, Harris was selected to the Pro Bowl and the NFL All-Pro First Team. By decision of the Pro Football Writers Association, Harris was also named to the All-NFC, All-NFL, and All-Rookie team for his production.
It seems as though Harris has proven himself to be one of the elite returners in the game already based upon these accolades and they are all well-deserved. By the end of the season, Harris was the league-leader in punt return yards and was one of only five players to ever return one for a score.
Although he didn’t have the same amount of success in kickoff returns, he proved that he is adept in that aspect as well with an impressive 26.8 yards per return.
Harris has shown all the signs of being a dependable and key player on the Saints roster and easily deserving of a spot on this list of the top 25 players going into next season.