The Texans signed third-round draft pick Christian Harris.
It's a four-year, $5.34 million contract that includes a $1.069 million signing bonus, according to a league source.
The Texans have now signed all of their draft picks.
The Texans traded up to select the former Alabama linebacker 75th overall.
Harris' final collegiate game for legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban was arguably his best one. A former blue-chip recruit from Baton Rouge, La., Harris recorded three sacks, four tackles for a loss, and a forced fumble in the loss to Georgia in the national championship.
Drafting Harris was significant, especially for Texans coach Lovie Smith. How excited were Smith and general manager Nick Caserio? They exchanged a big hug that was shown on social media after selecting Harris.
"Fit the profile in terms of what we want at linebacker," Caserio said. "I don't think anybody was more ecstatic than Lovie about that pick, but talking about a guy that's 6-foot, 225, 230 pounds, runs 4.4. Fits the profile of what we want to do defensively at that position. Kind of a unique story as well. Kind of basically didn't play linebacker until he showed up on the campus of Alabama.
"He was on the secondary and then moved down. That's reflective of Nick's genius of how he sees the game, how he uses people, where the game is going. Trying to stop offenses like Ole Miss and trying to stop teams that spread the field, have a lot of space. You need players, in turn, that can help defend that space. I would say Christian falls into that category."
Since that game and declaring early for the NFL draft the versatile sideline-to-sideline linebacker and converted safety maintained a busy schedule.
Harris visited the Texans, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and New Orleans Saints while being requested by a total of 18 teams for visits (private meetings or virtual meetings), according to a league source. Among the teams he met with virtually: the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.
With Harris' 4.44 speed and playmaking skills, he's regarded as an extremely strong fit for coach Lovie Smith's 4-3 defense that emphasizes the importance of the linebacker position.
"I honestly fell in love with it," Harris said. "It's kind of tough because going through that whole process, like you can't pick where you go, but I knew if I were to come here, it would be the perfect fit for me."
At 6-foot, 226 pounds, Harris aced the NFL Scouting Combine, where he met with multiple teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers. Additionally, he has a 9.05 Relative Athletic Score, an analytics grade comparing testing performance. Harris ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds with a 1.53 10-yard split and a 34 1/2 inch vertical leap.
Harris had 80 tackles last season, including 12.5 tackles for losses, with 5.5 sacks. He also had 2 forced fumbles and was a semifinalist for the Butkus and Lombardi awards.
Two seasons ago, Harris earned the starting job at Will linebacker and had 79 tackles, seven for loss, and 4 1/2 sacks with one interception. He was a freshman All-American and freshman All-Southeastern Conference selection who had 63 tackles, seven and 1/2 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.
An all-State and All-American selection who played wide receiver, cornerback, safety, outside linebacker, and returned kicks, Harris’ team won 26 consecutive games during his junior and senior years. He chose Alabama over competing scholarship offers from Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, and Texas A&M.
“A lot of those things come natural,” Harris said. “I have been playing corner since high school. My little league years I was playing safety. So a lot of things, knowing where to put my eyes and play the ball come natural. It does give me an advantage over a lot of guys because it comes natural.
“I just want them to know I am not just an inside linebacker. I have definitely developed my knowledge of the game. I know everybody’s spot. I can communicate. I can play fast. I can get guys lined up. I can be a leader on the defense.”
Aaron Wilson is a Pro Football Network reporter and analyst and a contributor to Sports Talk 790.
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