Despite not getting much coverage as a position of need, cornerback remains a pivotal position for Tennessee Titans' success in 2025.
After being a position group of constant turmoil in 2024, Tennessee’s depth was stretched even further after parting ways with Chidobe Awuzie earlier this offseason. Similarly to the story of last season, the Titans’ success at corner hinges on 2024 addition L’Jarius Sneed.
Sneed suffered a significant lower-body injury in week six which caused him to miss the rest of the season. In addition to his injury, his play in the six weeks that he was healthy left plenty to be desired. After his injury, Tennessee’s starting cornerback room was dwindled down to Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Darelle Baker Jr. and Roger McCreary.
With former California cornerback Marcus Harris (who projects more as a nickel) being their only addition during the NFL Draft, Tennessee’s depth at boundary corner remains a concerning issue. In an attempt to remedy this, the Titans brought in both a seasoned veteran in Amani Oruwariye and a deep batch of undrafted free agent corners.
What makes Harris an intriguing UDFA signing?
Former Iowa Hawkeye corner Jermari Harris is one of the multiple UDFA defensive backs the Titans signed after the draft. “Raw” is often a term used in the NFL Draft process to describe prospects who have all of the necessary athletic or physical traits, but lack refinement in their technique. The raw label was deservedly placed on him throughout most of the draft process.
While Iowa’s zone-heavy scheme didn’t allow Harris to showcase it all that often, he possesses top-end athleticism and twitch with extremely fluid hips in coverage. Playing zone a majority of the time, he also displayed rare instincts and reactivity in coverage.
Harris also flashed impressive skills at the catch point at Iowa. After being targeted 37 times in 2024, he only allowed 17 receptions. He showcased a consistent ability to play more physically than his size would suggest in contested situations.
Why Harris fell during the draft
Despite being projected as a mid day three pick for most of the pre-draft process (primarily due to these coveted athletic traits), Harris slipped into the sea of UDFAs on draft day.
While he does possess top-end athleticism, Harris has a concerning lack of discipline in coverage. Specifically on stop routes (comebacks, hitches, curls, etc.), he consistently flipped his hips late and allowed receivers to sink their hips while in his blind spot. In addition to this, his reps in press man coverage (while admittedly a limited sample size) also showed a lack of refinement. Although his athleticism allows him some leeway in press coverage, his punch timing and placement left room for improvement.
Compounded with his need for polish, Harris was also arrested in April of 2022 on a charge of operating while intoxicated. While he has not had any legal trouble since this incident, it also contributed to his undrafted status.
How Harris could develop for Tennessee in the future
While he may still be “raw” as of now, Tennessee’s lack of boundary corner depth may lead to Harris securing a spot on the final 53-man roster. At a position where his best attributes are the most crucial to success, time to sit and develop under the Titans’ coaching staff could allow him to reach his lofty ceiling.
Harris is unlikely to be a significant contributor early in his NFL career, but possesses the tools necessary to eventually grow into a valuable piece for Tennessee.
