Falcons trade for defensive end Charles Harris

The Dolphins drafted defensive lineman Charles Harris in 2017.

Credit: Winslow Townson

Credit: Winslow Townson

The Dolphins drafted defensive lineman Charles Harris in 2017.

The Falcons continued to amass former first-round picks on Friday.

They traded a seventh-round NFL draft pick in 2021 to the Miami Dolphins for defensive end Charles Harris, the team announced.

Harris, 25, who played at Missouri was the 22nd player taken in the 2017 draft by the Dolphins. He is set to make $1.943 million in base salary in 2020.

The Falcons have seemingly been collecting former first-round picks. They signed former first-round picks in running back Todd Gurley, defensive end Dante Fowler and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell in free agency this offseason. They could field an offense with 11 first-rounders.

Harris has played in 41 games and made eight starts. He played in 14 games and made five starts last season. He has 3.5 career sacks and 23 quarterback hits to go with 61 tackles and 10 tackles for loss.

Harris, 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, will add some depth at the defensive end position.

The Falcons signed Fowler to a three-year $48 million deal in free agency. Defensive end Takk McKinley is trying to make it back from his third shoulder surgery.

In the 2017 draft, Harris was the fifth-rated defensive end behind Myles Garrett, Derek Barnett, McKinley and T.J. Watt. Garrett and Watt have developed into Pro Bowl players and Watt was All-Pro last season.

Harris was a two-year starter at Missouri where he played left and right defensive end. He also played standing up at times. He was a two-time second-team All-SEC pick at Missouri, where he had 30.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks.

On Wednesday, McKinley announced on Twitter that the team elected not to pick up his $10 million fifth-year option.

In addition to Fowler and McKinley, the Falcons have defensive ends Allen Bailey, Steven Means, Austin Larkin and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner on the roster. They also drafted Auburn defensive end Marlon Davidson, but plan to play him at defensive tackle.

The Falcons also signed undrafted rookie free agent defensive ends in Ferris State’s Austin Edwards and Oregon’s Bryson Young.

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