Rival Views: Should Nyckoles Harbor be a top-10 prospect?

Like Liam Neeson said in the movie Taken, Nyckoles Harbor has a particular set of skills that make him a nightmare for opposing coaches and players. The new five-star and track star out of Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll could end up on either side of the ball at the next level but how high should he be ranked in the Rivals250? Right now, Harbor sits at No. 15 overall but should he be in the top 10? National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney and National Recruiting Analyst/Rankings Director Adam Friedman debate.

*****

MORE: Who will be the next big Rivals250 riser?

CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State | JUCO

CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board

RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Info for 2022 series

*****

If ratings were solely based off athletic ability, then Harbor could be a top-five prospect if not higher. The Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll five-star athlete is an incredible force off the edge, projects to be a phenomenal edge rusher and he's also an Olympic-level track athlete so that combination is something special. All of Harbor's skills combined and looking to see how that projects to college and the NFL Draft places him among the top prospects in the country. But top 10? We will see. It's not that Harbor cannot end up there in the rankings but which player does he displace is the question? Whether it's a loaded class of quarterbacks or a strong group of defensive ends, the top 10 is really strong so cracking that will take a lot. In a foot race, Harbor is No. 1 in the class. If we were rating solely off athletic ability, Harbor is No. 1. As a complete football player, Harbor is a five-star with a chance to get into the top-10 but he's not there yet.

Rankings are projections and when there is a player that's 6-foot-5, 235-pounds with Olympic level speed that racked up 17 sacks as a junior with unrefined technique, I'd take him over 99-percent of the players out there. If he was that dominant with bad technique, imagine what he's going to be able to do once he's coached up with proper technique. That's what coaches are thinking when they see Nyckoles Harbor. He certainly has holes in his game right now and he admits as much when you ask him but he has a solid understanding of what he needs to do on the field. With time and the type of coaching he'll get at the next level, Harbor could turn into an early first round pick in the NFL Draft. Is he there yet? No and he does have a ways to go but does that mean he shouldn't be in the top 10? He certainly could be an and probably will be when all is said and done.