One year ago, Harrison Hand was preparing to learn under one of the great defensive-minded coaches in the NFL, Mike Zimmer. The 2020 fifth-round pick signed his rookie contract, a four-year, $3.6 million dollar deal, and seemed like he had a clear path toward his future. Joining an organization that had developed recent shut-down cornerbacks like Xavier Rhodes, with a legacy full of great defensive leaders including Antoine Winfield, Harrison Smith, and John Randle, he must have felt like he landed with a pretty good franchise.
As 2020 progressed, injuries and player departures left the Vikings in a position where the players getting snaps were rookies and journeymen who just wanted to stay off the sidelines. The defense was in shambles, unable to support the high production of the offense. The names being called for the starting roster were mostly foreign, even to the most dedicated members of the fanbase. Instead of developing out of the spotlight, Hand was forced into the fray and needed to play at a much higher level than he was ready for. Quite the resumé-building season for a rookie coming into the league, right?
This year, Hand was given a second chance to show what he can do on the 53-man roster.
With the offseason transactions that the Vikings made at defensive back, the locker room has suddenly been filled with players ready to make an impact. Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland, and Mackensie Alexander are all filling the starting spots nicely, relieving some of the pressure on the rest of the defense. While this bodes well for the team as a whole, it also puts Hand in a more favorable position. Instead of fighting against the league’s best with a high risk of failing, he has the chance to enter the game in situations where he can be set up for success.
From a statistical perspective, Hand’s play last year was rather mediocre, even for a rookie with low expectations. But the overall quality of the 2020 Vikings defense is partially to blame for his shortcomings. Throughout the preseason, the battle at cornerback was an intense one, and it is valid to ask a couple of questions about Hand’s status with the team following the Vikings’ announcement of their initial roster picture.
Where does Harrison Hand fit into the current system? At this point, he settled into his position as a third-string cornerback, sharing that title with Cameron Dantzler. With Dantzler starting in 10 of his 11 appearances during 2020 and getting significantly more on-the-field action than Hand, it is tough to say whether them being viewed as equals is a boost to Hand’s reputation or a hit to Dantzler’s status. However, both have incredible potential and have earned their spots on a team invested in growing their talent. This current placement on the depth chart is a good baseline for Hand entering the season and provides a worthy teammate for him to compare himself to in terms of playing time and statistics.
Who are potential threats to Hand’s position? The third-string spot doesn’t hold any guarantees, with the practice squad players willing to do whatever it takes to make the team. Both Tye Smith and Parry Nickerson were cut from the roster and signed to the practice squad, so while neither are fighting for their lives, they will not be complacent in waiting to get the nod to move up. During the preseason, Smith had a nice statline with four tackles and three assisted tackles against the Indianapolis Colts. Nickerson saw the field but had no significant production.
If Hand has one ace in the hole, it is Mike Zimmer’s pride. Of these three players, he was the only one who was drafted by the Vikings. As a defensively focused coach, Zimmer has developed a reputation of being able to take young defenders and shape them into impact players. Unfortunately for Zimmer, he has struck out with Jeff Gladney and Mike Hughes and could be looking to prove his coaching prowess with someone like Hand.
What can Hand do to improve his chances of increasing his snap count? Exhibit his latent potential. While he didn’t have a breakout season last year, he was able to fill in on a needy team on short notice. This flexibility in a player can be underrated in the NFL, as few rookies outside of the initial rounds of the draft ever get to play in 14 games. He also made a good impression on the fans when he needed to rise to the occasion, which oftentimes means he came out of bad gametime situations unnoticed. His demeanor off the field is likeable and presents a good image for the team, both important factors in his odds of staying put.
As the season begins, look for Hand to improve game-to-game. He led the Vikings in tackles during the third preseason contest and took command of his positional play. He needs to continue to show the Vikings that he has not come close to showing his full potential, and that he can learn from the talent around him to establish himself as part of the defensive core.
