Five Things: Jonathan Harris

1. Working into the Starting Lineup

Progress is rarely linear in the NFL. In the case of Jonathan Harris, a starting role was considered a longshot as an undrafted rookie out of Lindenwood University. Posting 22 sacks, 38.5 tackles for a loss and forcing four fumbles at Lindenwood might not have gotten Harris selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, but it did get him into Bears camp.

Though the Aurora, Illinois native made his debut with the hometown Bears, it was the move to Denver early in that rookie season that spring-boarded his career into a starting role. Before that, Harris would have to wait. Playing 79 and 71 snaps respectively his first two seasons, it wasn’t until 2022 that Harris became a regular part of the rotation.

Then, in Broncos camp 2023, Harris earned a role with the Broncos first team.

Part of the Broncos base package, Harris started five of the 17 games he played in 2023. The increase in snaps played is a better indicator of the growth the fourth-year pro displayed. With 522 defensive snaps last season, Harris nearly doubled his three-year rep total and the stats matched.

Harris recorded the first sack of his career, 43 total tackles, four for loss and matched his career high in quarterback hits with four. He added 13 quarterback pressures and 21 stops, showcasing his ability to play the heavy-end role in base downs. His splits were nearly even in terms of reps against the run and pass, indicating how trusted he was on early downs to slow the opponent’s ground game.

“He is steady,” Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “He is really steady and mature, and that’s what you want from your defensive linemen. You want guys who are going to be stout in the running game and have some pass-rush ability to push the pocket but he is steady.”

Countless adages profess the importance of stopping the run, first and foremost.

“Play the run on the way to the quarterback.”

“It starts by…