Roman Harper

positives

Has a muscular, linear frame with smooth upper body development, good bubble and hamstrings...Physical downhill performer with the strength to defeat blocks working along the line...Shows good field awareness keeping plays in front of him when working in the zone...Plays with good leverage, generating good pop on contact...Has good balance playing in space and uses his hands effectively to play off blocks...Has a good feel for handling switch-offs in the zone and does a good job of picking up the slot receiver playing underneath...Gets a good jump on the ball with his ability to properly read the quarterback...Has enough range to accelerate to the ball, compensating for a lack of blazing speed by taking good angles to shorten his closing burst...Makes plays on the ball with his natural hands and does a good job of getting his head turned to track the ball in flight...Fills the rush lanes with good urgency, doing a nice job of slipping off blocks and sifting through trash to locate the ball...Brings his arms and keeps his feet, generating the strength behind his hits to wrap and secure.

when taking on ballcarriers, he squares up, and though not always a wrapper, he will strike with force and is a reliable tackler. he sorts out combination routes well and has good route recognition, taking good angles on the ball. he lacks an explosive closing burst though.

Harper gets too high in his backpedal, and though smooth in his turn, he lacks the speed to recover deep, but shows good range to the sideline. He is worth a look as an athlete who will play smart and has the toughness to contribute on special teams, but is a step too slow to develop into a starter.

negatives

Better playing in the zone, where he can keep plays in front of him rather than in man coverage...Has just adequate hip snap to turn coming out of his pedal, but is too high in his stance to generate immediate acceleration coming out of his breaks...Lacks explosive closing speed, compensating by taking proper angles to close...Controlled and physical tackler, but does not have the hand strength to match up and reroute bigger tight ends...Does not have the recovery burst to get back into the action once beaten on pass routes.

harper is a productive athlete with valid instincts and above average ball anticipation skills. he compensates for a lack of ideal foot speed with the range and ability to take proper angles in attempts to close on the ball. he is a physical tackler with good urgency stepping up to support vs. the run. he shows good hand activity to defeat blocks and has enough functional strength to fill the alleys.

Harper's lack of burst and speed makes him a bit of a liability in man coverage. He lacks the ability to fly around, but he comes up quickly, and routinely puts himself in position to make plays. Harper is sound, but not fast in short area pass coverage. He gets good position in the zone and can run with a tight end, but is unable to run deep with a receiver. He trails well though and is capable of taking away easy throws.

2000: Suffered a right fibula fracture as a senior in high school. 2006: Could not participate in agility tests at the combines due to a left hamstring pull.

Campus: 4.65 in the 40-yard dash (against the wind)

4.58 40-yard dash (wind-aided)

370-pound bench press

385-pound squat

300-pound power clean

33.5-inch vertical jump

33 ¾-inch arm length

9 ¼-inch hands

Right-handed

26/35 Wonderlic score. Combine: Bench-pressed 225 pounds 19 times.

Did not participate in agility tests because of a left hamstring pull.

Attended Prattville (Ala.) High School, playing football for head coach Bill Clarke

Played quarterback and free safety his senior season

On defense, he finished the season with 58 tackles and four interceptions in limited playing time due to a broken leg

As a quarterback, he accounted for more than 800 yards of offense and 13 touchdowns

All-County, All-Metro and Birmingham News All-State pick

Prattville finished 9-2 on the season

Offensive MVP for the Lions and was also voted team captain.

Graduated in December 2005 with a degree in Management

Son of Princess and Ronald Harper

Born 12/11/82

Resides in Prattville, Alabama.