Is 49ers Marcell Harris on verge of stealing job at training camp?
SANTA CLARA — A hard hit here, another there. An interception here, another there. Marcell Harris is bruising bodies and egos at 49ers training camp.
Look no further if you want a sleeper who might steal a starting spot.
“He’s taken a step forward,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Sunday.
Harris is technically a second-year strong safety. The first half of his rookie year was spent on injured reserve, recovering from a torn Achilles and pulled hamstring.
Can he envision himself starting the Sept. 8 season opener at Tampa Bay?
“Man, I’ve got big expectations for myself,” Harris responded. “I don’t make the decisions here, but, meanwhile, I’m out here doing my job and they’ll evaluate how they need to.”
What must Harris show for Shanahan to envision him a starter?
“That he’s better than (Jaqusiki) Tartt. That he’s the best strong safety on our team,” Shanahan answered.
Tartt’s nerve issue in his shoulder issue last season limited him to eight games, allowing Harris to flash his potential (and his weaknesses) while starting the final five games of a 4-12 season.
Harris’ specialty is to hit hard in the so-called box, near the line of scrimmage. General manager John Lynch, formerly a ferocious safety, must appreciate that.
“I always feel I have a physical aspect to my game,” Harris said.
He once trumpeted himself as the SEC’s hardest-hitting safety, yet acknowledged on his 2018 draft day (sixth round) that he wasn’t able to prove it his final year at Florida because of a torn right Achilles.
“You can’t tell the difference now,” said Harris, whose only visible reminder of his Achilles rehab is the compression sleeve he wears at practice.
His frame (6-foot, 215 pounds) isn’t far off Ronnie Lott’s (6-foot, 203 pounds). His dreadlocks hang halfway down his No. 36 jersey, a look similar to starting cornerback Richard Sherman.
To share a secondary with Sherman, Harris must combine his physicality with smart play. He must take the right angle, play with proper leverage, show quick feet, eliminate grab hands and not draw penalties (four last season).
“And make plays on the ball,” Harris added, shrewedly.
The 49ers secondary is starving for a playmaker. Tartt has three interceptions, one forced fumble and no fumble recoveries in 47 games (31 starts).
The free safety competition also provides compelling drama, between Tarvarius Moore, Adrian Colbert and, eventually, Jimmie Ward, the projected starter once cleared for contact.
The safety positions supposedly will be more interchangeable this season. That means Harris better prove his consitency and reliability, for what the occasional assignments in center-field coverage.
Last year, he wasn’t medically cleared to join training camp practices until Day 5. Two weeks later, he hurt his hamstring scrimmaging the Houston Texans.
Once he came off injured reserve, Harris rebounded from a rough debut in Seattle to help clinch a win the next Sunday against Denver. He came through in the final quarter with a tackle-for-loss on third down and then a fourth-down stop in coverage.
“He’s healthier this year,” Shanahan said. “And that’s going to give him a chance to push Tartt and to push the other guys in the group.”
Push? Shove, more likely.