Thursday open thread: Should the Lions keep playing Will Harris?

Here are some of the scouting notes from Will Harris after the Detroit Lions drafted him No. 81 overall in the 2019 draft:

Strengths

• Height, weight and speed (6-foot-1, 207 pounds, 4.41-second 40-yard dash).
• Frequent and efficient blitzer from multiple positions.

Weaknesses

• Loves to come down and hit but is sometimes slow to get there.
• Takes on blockers but struggles to disengage.

All of that seems to have come to life with Harris’ play in Detroit as well.

Harris has the size and speed you look for in an NFL safety, but he’s struggled to put it all together. He’s been suspect in pass coverage and a liability when he needs to support the run.

Today’s question of the day is:

Should the Lions keep playing Will Harris?

My answer: Nope

Harris never seemed like a starting-caliber player to me anyway, but the last two weeks have been downright awful. The unfortunate reality is the Lions coaching staff seems to be blind to the fact that Harris can’t do what they’re asking of him.

From Matt Patricia’s press conference earlier this week:

“In those games that Will had certain roles, Tracy had certain roles and we were going to rotate those guys through...I think both players have made plays that they need to do a better job on, and they need to execute better. We just try to put whatever package we think will help us win that game out there at those times.”

It will be interesting to see what happens when Jevon Kearse gets back into the rotation after his three-week suspension. But, overall, the Lions don’t have a ton of options.

Regardless, if Harris doesn’t improve quick, it’s going to be a long year for Lions’ secondary.