Christian Harris has an opportunity to be a special piece of the Houston Texans’ defense in 2023 after a hamstring injury delayed the start of the linebacker’s rookie campaign.
With less than a full schedule worth of experience under his belt heading into the new season, Harris is leaning on one teammate in particular to improve his game as much as possible before the regular season.
Harris told reporters after day one of mandatory minicamp Tuesday that Denzel Perryman had taken him under his wing to some degree, and that the insight that he has gained from the veteran backer has helped him prepare for his second season in Houston.
“I mean, just he has a lot of experience in the league,” Harris said. “Just like how I was treating it with Kirko [Christian Kirksey] last year, Coach DeMeco [Ryans] this year, trying to be a sponge. I have a lot of vets around me. They giving me insight on plays I’m coming back in, trying to give me tips. I’m trying to be open ears.”
While Perryman has carved out an impressive career for himself, Harris will be expected to do even more as a blue-chip third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He fell on draft boards due to the aforementioned injury but came on strong for the Texans near the end of their schedule last season.
With Perryman’s guidance and a former linebacker as his head coach, Harris’ trajectory seems to be pointed in the right direction, and fans should expect some standout showings from him when the regular season starts in September.
