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Denver Broncos: Chris Harris Jr. On Path to be Team’s Best Corner

By Cameron Parker

Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris (25) before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris (25) before the game against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are plenty of great cornerbacks to wear a Denver Broncos uniform and Chris Harris Jr. is on a path to be the team’s best.

Champ Bailey and many past Denver Broncos corner backs rank as some of the all-time greats. For current defensive back Chris Harris Jr., he is on a path as the greatest. In a short amount of time (five years), Harris Jr. is halfway from breaking Bailey’s passes defended record in a Broncos uniform. Bailey registered 123 passes defended in his stint with the Broncos. Harris sits at 66.

Furthermore, Harris Jr’s  path to the NFL is a test of adversity. Not invited to the NFL Combine or a pro day Harris Jr. played with a chip on his shoulder. In the 2011 NFL Draft, Harris Jr. went undrafted. However, once he became a Denver Bronco, the rest is history. He is currently a three-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champion and first-time All-Pro.

Notorious as a shutdown corner, Bailey is a playmaking extraordinaire. There are two similarities between Harris and Bailey. Harris is not afraid to mix it up and get dirty with the big boys. Bailey played with same attitude. Second, the tackling between Harris Jr. and Bailey is eerily similar. Harris Jr. played with Bailey from 2011-2013..

A mark for a terrific corner is soaking up as much knowledge from an all-time great. Bailey became a mentor for Harris Jr.

“That’s one thing, you don’t see a lot of the older guys like him becoming friends with the younger cats. Just to be able to have that relationship means a lot,” Harris Jr. on Bailey’s mentorship when Harris Jr. learned Bailey’s induction into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in April.

Harris Jr. reflected on time with Bailey after future Hall of Famer was inducted to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in April

“When I played with Champ, he was at the end of his career,” Harris Jr. said of his time with Bailey. “I didn’t get to see the prime, super prime Champ up close. At the time, he was just really focusing on making sure those fundamentals were tight. He could still run and do everything. He focused more on his fundamentals the older he got.”

Understanding the techniques from playing with Champ is something Harris Jr. will forever remember.

“Techniques. Just different techniques on-the-field-wise, fundamental-wise, how he played square. I’m like an old school corner with techniques,” Harris Jr. described what he learned from Bailey in April. “I play square through my fundamentals. It’s definitely something that I kept from Champ for sure.”

Versatility has always been a part of Harris Jr’s game and is something that potentially separates him from the pack of great defensive backs to wear Broncos orange. Harris Jr. can play on the outside and inside as a corner back. The adaptability to play wherever coaches want makes Harris Jr. a coaching dream. Harris Jr. is one corner back never beaten.

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“If you get beat, line up again. That’s something that he, even at year 15, he still had that. So, that’s the mentality that I always want to keep,” Harris Jr. on Bailey’s play and mentality.

Harris Jr. continues to defy the odds and is en route to be the Denver Broncos best corner.

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