Broncos roster review: Defensive End Jonathan Harris

Just who is this Jonathan Harris fellow, anyway?

The undrafted free agent out of Lindenwood has been a Bronco since 2019. With a new coaching staff, does Harris have a chance at making the Broncos’ roster in 2022?

#92 Jonathan Harris

Height: 6’5
Weight: 295 lbs
Position: Defensive End
College: Lindenwood
Experience: 3 years

How he fits with the Broncos in 2022

Harris hasn’t been a significant contributor for the Broncos so far in his career, having just 184-snaps in a Broncos uniform since 2019. Working in as a rotational defensive end in sub packages, Harris appeared in 3 games for the team in 2022. Harris mostly played in the week 17 and week 18 matchups vs the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, filling in for DeShawn Williams (IR) and McTelvin Agim (COVID).

Harris earned the praise of Vic Fangio after the Chargers game and has new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero “excited” but his film last year, even in the Chargers game, wasn’t exactly disruptive or exciting. He struggled to generate enough push in the run game, oftentimes giving up too much ground. He amassed a grand total of 1 pressure and 1 QB hit, which came after the ball was loose versus the Chargers.

Harris was out-snapped last year by 5 different defensive ends, and the team added Eyioma Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen in the draft. While Denver isn’t super deep up front, that’s still problematic in figuring out just how he earns a spot on the roster. Paton didn’t sign him, and the previous coaching staff kept him around as a pet project.

Final Words

Jonathan Harris didn’t make the final 53-man roster last year, and that was with Vic Fangio and company in town. With more depth along the defensive line and the lack of real impact so far in Denver, it feels like an incredible stretch to predict Harris has any sort of impact or makes the final 53. The team’s Shelby Harris replacement in base at 5T is Uwazurike, and their sub-package interior rusher rotation of Dre’Mont Jones, DeShawn Williams, Uwazurike, Agim, and Henningsen is better than what it was last year when they were throwing Shamar Stephen out there for 20-30 snaps a game.