Tennessee Titans signed a wildly talented undrafted free agent that the rest of the NFL forgot to draft
The Tennesse Titans' new general manager Mike Borgonzi put together a phenomenal first NFL Draft with the team. When a squad is picking first overall there are generally too many issues to fix them all in just one draft, but Borgonzi certainly has the Titans headed in the right direction.A new quarterback in Cam Ward. […]
The Tennesse Titans' new general manager Mike Borgonzi put together a phenomenal first NFL Draft with the team. When a squad is picking first overall there are generally too many issues to fix them all in just one draft, but Borgonzi certainly has the Titans headed in the right direction.
A new quarterback in Cam Ward. A high upside edge rusher. Offensive weapons to build around the new face of the franchise. And Borgonzi wasn't finished when the draft festivities wrapped up. He brought in Ward's favorite target in wide receiver Xavier Restrepo among 13 other undrafted free agent signings. But one name on that UDFA signings list stood out above the rest as the most obvious talent that the rest of the NFL clearly forgot to draft: Jermari Harris, CB Iowa.
Jermari Harris, CB Iowa
Like many wildly talented defenders at Iowa, Jermari Harris had to wait his turn to break out for the Hawkeyes, but once he finally saw the field in year three he immediately found success. Harris proved to be a trustworthy tackler and a shutdown outside corner for the Iowa Hawkeyes three straight seasons in a row after that.
Harris finished his final season with Iowa allowing a completion rate of just 43% and a passer rating when targeted below 37. For reference, a standard incomplete pass receives a passer rating of 39.6. So in other words, quarterbacks were better off chucking the ball into the ground instead of targeting Harris last season. Teams seemed to realize this down the stretch, so most offenses tried to go elsewhere entirely. Harris was targeted just 12 times in his last four contests despite consistently facing off against opposing WR1 options.
How in the world does a cornerback that good go undrafted? And how could he fit in with the Titans as perhaps their most important UDFA signing?
The only real reason Harris likely went undrafted is that he has questionable top-end NFL speed. Outside of that, Harris looks like he's plenty good enough and ready to compete from day one. The Titans certainly paid him like he might be ready to compete from day one and earn real snaps in 2025 too.
Harris was signed to a three-year deal worth up to about $3 million dollars with Tennessee. $10,000 signing bonus. Nearly $250,000 guaranteed. That's a better deal than most any undrafted free agent receives.
The Titans return Jarvis Brownlee Jr., L'Jarius Sneed, Roger McCreary, and Darrell Baker Jr. as the team's primary top four cornerbacks, but beyond that the depth roles seem like they're up for grabs.
Gabe Jeudy-Lally was the undrafted free agent cornerback that flashed last summer and into the preseason, but he was never able to break through into a real game day role. He'll be in the mix again. Marcus Harris was drafted in the sixth round, and he'll likely compete for a 53-man roster spot. Alongside those two Jermari Harris should be right there in the mix to see significant action. He just has to beat out the other UDFAs and prove his unbelievable coverage numbers can be repeated at the next level.
Harris' clearest path to action likely comes competing directly with Gabe Jeudy-Lally and Darrell Baker Jr. for outside cornerback duties. Marcus Harris is likely the backup slot option who will learn from Roger McCreary given his build and length. Harris possesses the more natural outside NFL CB measurements.
There's a real chance that if Harris outperforms Baker and Jeudy-Lally that he actually rises all the way to primary backup at outside corner in year one given his physicality, technique, and shutdown abilities. He'll be one to keep an eye on all summer long.
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And if you want to check out some of the great plays that prove Jermari Harris was an absolute steal for the Titans as an undrafted free agent signing you can find his highlights in the video below!
