NFL Draft Prospects 2019: Wide Receiver - Kelvin Harmon, N.C. State

After being born in Liberia, Kelvin Harmon moved to the US when he was four years old. He led New Jersey in receiving yards his senior year and was an all-state selection.

He also immediately made an impact for the Wolfpack, winning the team’s award for the top freshman. As a sophomore he became the program’s first 1000-yard receiver since 2003, earning second-team All-ACC honors, and he improved to first-team all-conference with 81 catches for almost 1200 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Harmon has excellent size at 6’3”, 220 pounds. He has the wheels to threaten defenses deep (13 catches of 20+ yards) and can punish the cushion he is given on quick-in, hitch and curl routes.

The consecutive 1000-yard receiver doesn’t waste much time with press-coverage with a strong swipe of the hands, and often gets a step on the defender instantly due to refined footwork.

Harmon shows smooth adjustments to the ball, as he can turn around and come over the opposite shoulder mid-air. He is a back-shoulder specialist, who makes bad throws look good and wins the vast majority of his 50-50 balls.

He also shows fluid movements when high-pointing the ball, bringing it into his body and turning it away from the defender all in one motion. Overall I love the way he secures catches and doesn’t allow anybody to knock it out of his hands.

He has no problem reaching out over the outside shoulder and catching the ball with ease, displaying excellent concentration when the ball is in the air, even with defenders draped all over him.

For as much of a big-bodied wideout as Harmon is, he also runs very detailed double-moves that have defenders jumping on the initial break or turning the wrong way. He makes the most of his tools, pushing downfield to force his corner to open up and then working back to the ball out of his breaks, while also showing excellent awareness for the sideline.

Harmon runs like a wild horse after the catch, breaking arm tackles and dragging defenders on his back. Moreover, he puts in the work as a blocker for his teammates with hands inside the defender’s frame and elite grip strength.

He put on a clinic on sideline catches versus Boston College with both feet in bounds whilst also pushing guys around in the run game. He also torched Clemson for 155 yards in 2017 and just tore up the Syracuse secondary, as he got behind them multiple times last season.

It might be that N.C. State lined him up that far outside, but I thought Harmon needs to do a better job giving himself space towards the sideline. He is not the most explosive coming out of his breaks, especially on routes with breaks coming back towards the quarterback, and he lacks that final gear to run under balls that are slightly overthrown.

He didn’t really clock the way you would expect from an outside receiver at 4.6 flat and caught only two passes from the slot last season for people thinking about putting him inside. As physical as Harmon is after the catch, you are not going to confuse him for a guy who slices right through a defense for house calls.

With that lack of elite top-speed, Harmon’s ceiling might be limited compared to some other guys in his draft class, but he is one of my favorite receivers to watch.

He wins with strong hands and outstanding route-running acumen, while being maybe the best all-around blocker on this list. He understands how to set up defenders, stacks them incredibly well on vertical routes and works hard on his craft. If you need a big-bodied guy who can contribute from day one this is your man.

Grade: Mid-second