Patriots kickoff 2016: A look at Duron Harmon
Veteran safety Duron Harmon wears the No. 30 jersey, so he’s the subject of conversation today as we mark 30 days until the New England Patriots open 2016.
Size: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
College: Rutgers
NFL experience: Three seasons
Selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Harmon has put together a decent resume as an NFL safety. The Patriots rely on Harmon as the top backup safety on the depth chart, filling-in for Devin McCourty or Patrick Chung as needed. Through three seasons, Harmon has appeared in all but one game for the Pats; in that time, he has accumulated 64 tackles, 11 passes defended and six interceptions.
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Of course, Harmon is best known for his interception of a Joe Flacco lob pass in the 2014 Divisional Round thriller. By corralling that pass, Harmon ended an absolute dogfight between the bitter AFC rivals, one in which the Patriots had to claw their way back from not just one, but two 14-point deficits. In other words, Harmon was as instrumental in the Patriots’ super season of 2014 as anyone. Someone on defense had to step up and make a play on that drive.
Recent installments in the series:
31 days – No. 31 Jonathan Jones
32 days – No. 32 Devin McCourty
If you’ve been keeping up with Harmon, you know that he sat out the entire offseason program “to clean out some things physically” but he has been participating in training camp festivities. Keep in mind that Harmon is a pretty integral part of the Patriots’ defense, because even though he doesn’t start at safety, he sees plenty of looks in sub packages.
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A product of the Rutgers pipeline of defensive players that Bill Belichick loves to draw from, Harmon has proved himself in three seasons as a Patriot, even if this writer cringed a bit when Brandon Marshall absolutely owned him in Week 16 last season.
Next: 10 Most Exciting Sophomore Pros on Pats Roster
Be sure to stop by Musket Fire tomorrow as we mark 29 days until the Patriots open 2016 by profiling the owner of the No. 29 jersey, veteran running back LeGarrette Blount.