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When assessing how David Harris fits in the New England Patriots linebacker corps, there are a few key points with which to begin. Captain Dont'a Hightower is the unquestioned leader of the group. He usually plays on all three downs. Then the Patriots pieced it together next to him last season, using a combination of 2016 sixth-round pick Elandon Roberts plus Shea McClellin and Kyle Van Noy, depending on the game plan.  Roberts excels when playing downhill against the run and timing up a blitz. Meanwhile, McClellin and Van Noy offer a bit more versatility in terms of their ability to align in different spots and possibly follow running backs down the field.
Based on coordinator Matt Patricia's approach of mixing up the defense on a week-to-week basis to combat each opponent's strengths, and the unit is in sub packages about 80 percent of the time, the playing time of Roberts, McClellin and Van Noy would fluctuate. Jonathan Freeny, a run-first player who spent last year on injured reserve, is also part of this year's depth chart. Now Harris, who is probably closest to Roberts in terms of skill set at this stage of his career (primarily a two-down player), enters the mix. He also adds insurance for Hightower, who has been banged up at times. Did the Patriots truly need Harris? Probably not, but when he unexpectedly became available, Bill Belichick pounced to add another solid portion at a position the Patriots have mixed and matched in recent years alongside Hightower.
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