Detroit Lions’ Will Harris has a new position; Levi Onwuzurike makes offseason gains

Will Harris has a new position.

“He’s a cafety,” Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell joked Thursday. “Yeah, he’s a hybrid. He really is. He’s a jack of all trades.”

Harris played three positions in the Lions’ injury-riddled secondary last fall, starting games at safety, cornerback and slot corner.

He opened the season as a starting safety alongside Tracy Walker, transitioned to slot cornerback after A.J. Parker went on injured reserve in late November, then moved outside when Parker returned and after Jerry Jacobs went down with a torn ACL.

Harris finished last season as the Lions’ No. 1 cornerback, after Amani Oruwariye underwent surgery for a broken thumb. And though he allowed a career-high 73.4% completion percentage and five touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference, he gave the Lions’ depleted secondary valuable reps and endeared himself to coaches in the process.

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Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn compared Harris last season to longtime Saints defensive back P.J. Williams last winter, and Campbell said Thursday “part of his strength is his versatility.”

“That’s one of his greatest attributes, which we came to find out last year,” Campbell said. “I mean, we wouldn’t have known that. You guys heard me talk about it. We would have not known that had we not had the injuries and COVID and everything else. So I think he’s a jack of all trades.”

Campbell said the Lions still are deciding how to deploy Harris when formal offseason workouts start later this month.