Two games into his freshman season, Harris injured his knee and missed the rest of the year. In spot duty, including one start, as a sophomore, he only managed to be in on 10 tackles. As a junior however, he came up big for the Wolverines. In 11 starts, Harris had a team high 88 tackles, seven for loss, and one sack. He continued to grow as a senior, finishing with 95 tackles, 15 for loss, with four sacks and an interception.
David Harris is a player that has come into his own the past two years after being slowed down by a knee injury. He is an excellent run stuffing middle linebacker. He has good short area quickness, and quickly reacts to a run play and fills the gap. He’s not afraid to take on a lineman and will deliver a hit once he gets to the ball carrier.
At this point, Harris is a one dimensional linebacker. He is a factor in stopping the run, but does not lend much help elsewhere. He must continue to develop his coverage skills at the next level to maximize his potential.
Harris has come on quickly the past two seasons to have an impact on the field and develop into an NFL prospect. He has shown the instincts and ability to be a factor as a run stopper, but his inexperience is obvious in coverage. Harris surprised many with a fantastic 4.53 40 at the combine, and it may have pushed him into the first half of the second round.