Duron Harmon's Advice To NFL Prospects: Don't Listen To Mel Kiper Or Todd McShay
BOSTON (CBS) - Bob Socci, the voice of your New England Patriots, takes to the Sports Hub airwaves to discuss prospects, scouting reports, team needs, welcome special guests and everything else you need to know ahead of the 2015 NFL Draft every Sunday at 8am through the end of draft season!
On Bob Socci's first NFL Draft Preview Show of 2015, Patriots safety Duron Harmon joined the program to discuss a number of topics.
"It's just been an amazing ride starting since that Malcolm Butler interception on the 1-yard line. That happens, we win the Super Bowl and that night we're on the stage with Rick Ross; just traveling, getting all support and love from this community. Not just this community, but everywhere I go people find out who I am and that I won a Super Bowl, they're just caring and it's actually very humbling to say the least," Harmon told Socci.
"I know I'm very fortunate to be a part of this organization. I'm just excited that I got to participate in that Super Bowl win."
There wasn't a lot of time for Patriots players or coaches to celebrate, because almost immediately the transition was made from the Super Bowl aftermath to free agency. Harmon's secondary went through a major shake up, with Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis departing by way of free agency.
Harmon is now entering his third season, and even though he's still considered a young buck in the National Football League, it doesn't take long for players to see the business side of things.
"It's a business. It's something I learned last year seeing Steve Gregory leave. He was a guy I really looked up to. You realize there will always be changes each and every year, and you really don't ever know who," said Harmon. "You just have to do your best, stay professional, go with the changes and try to perform to the best of your ability."
Duron Harmon's interception in the AFC Divisional Round against Baltimore all but sealed New England's win over the Ravens in January, but the former Rutgers product knows there's always improvements you can make.
Harmon will be training in Arizona again this offseason with his teammates, and Bob Socci was curious to know what type of things he will be working on.
"I want to build on consistency, man-to-man coverage and just my overall football knowledge. I'm still just trying to grasp and learn the game and be a true student of the game," said Harmon. "I feel like I can really improve and take my game to another level."
As Socci gets ready for the 2015 Draft, he and Harmon also looked backwards to the 2013 Draft, the year in which the safety was selected. If you were watching the 2013 NFL Draft, you may remember ESPN not having any highlight reels ready when New England made Harmon their fourth selection that year.
Harmon went from a virtual unknown to having the chance to play for a perennial contender.
"It was really a dream come true. I'm grinding as hard as I can to get an opportunity in the league, had a few workouts, a few visits, and just to hear your name called that night was just a dream come true. My family was there. My mom was half asleep," Harmon joked.
"Some of my family actually left. They literally just left and when I got drafted they turned [the car] around. I was fortunate, man. A lot of people didn't get drafted and a lot of people still aren't in the league right now. I'm sitting here going on year three, and I'm very fortunate to be a New England Patriot."
When Harmon was preparing for the NFL Draft, he had former college teammate Devin McCourty to sort of be a sounding board for advice. But with a few years of experience under his belt, Harmon is now in a position to offer advice.
"I would tell [prospects] to not really focus too much on what everybody is saying. Focus more on what you can do: your workouts, your visits, how people perceive you. Make sure you give everybody nothing but positive outlooks about yourself, because that's what really gets you drafted, not what Mel Kiper, Todd McShay or everybody else is saying on ESPN -- it's what the organization sees in you."
Listen below for Bob Socci's full interview with Duron Harmon!
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