With the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, the Patriots selected N’Keal Harry. Many writers have said that New England actually had Harry graded higher than where they selected him. N’Keal Harry has been called a “walking highlight.” Even still, the Patriots have never selected a wide receiver in the first round under Belichick. This year’s class of wide receivers boasted a wide variety of high-upside players. Speedsters like Marquise Brown and Andy Isabella, polished route-runners like A.J. Brown and Deebo Samuel, and larger receivers like D.K. Metcalf, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Hakeem Butler, all have the chance to be NFL fixtures. Still, all reports indicate that New England liked Harry more than all those other names. The Patriots clearly believe in Harry, but what is it that made New England take him in the first round?
N’Keal Harry Set to Succeed in New England
What He Already Has
New England appears to be favoring bigger receivers to combat the smaller defensive packages that are becoming prominent throughout the league. At 6’3” 228 lb, N’Keal Harry fits that mold. While his size helps him win in contested catch situations, what truly sets him apart from other receivers is concentration and body control that will translate to the next level. Take the following plays for example:
The body control pic.twitter.com/1j4LuHriWC
— Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) July 4, 2019
Great hands and concentration by N'Keal Harry pic.twitter.com/UvLQRDhDQe
— Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) July 5, 2019
The NFL’s defensive backs are certainly better than those in the FBS. However, it’s unlikely any of them would have prevented Harry from catching either of those passes. In both cases, Harry had little to no separation but still displayed the athleticism and concentration to come down with the catch. The first of those, especially, is reminiscent of OBJ’s trademark catch. In the second, the commentators spoke to Harry being aware enough to not only catch the ball but to also turn his body while bringing it in in order to ensure possession. This level of athleticism is something that New England hasn’t had for a long time.
The trait that makes him a perfect fit in New England is his ability to get yards after the catch. He very often makes something out of nothing. Harry competes as hard as anyone. Even when the play blows up and nothing goes his way, he continues trying to keep the play alive. And in the following cases, his spatial awareness and short area quickness allow him to succeed:
N'Keal Harry makes most of the other team miss pic.twitter.com/CSk0Qa9e3t
— Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) July 5, 2019
N'Keal Harry finds the gap and turns a dead play into a TD pic.twitter.com/hZ3dwKHjXR
— Sunny Kapadia (@SunnyKapadia4) July 5, 2019
The Patriots’ offense lacked explosive playmakers last season, especially after Josh Gordon’s suspension. Harry is an explosive player; he appears to play faster than his straight-line speed would suggest because of his excellent vision as a ball-carrier. His quickness in short areas and ability to see barely existent gaps made him one of the most elusive ball carriers in the FBS.
New England expects its receivers to pick up yards after they get the ball, thriving on calls such as screens and jet sweeps to keep defenses on their toes. With a weapon like Harry who has shown so much success in the open field, Josh McDaniels will continue to have flexibility with his play calls.
Where He Needs to Improve
While Harry is highly talented in contested catch situations—and those situations are largely unavoidable in the NFL—, it has been noted by many that these situations arise for Harry in particular because he struggles to gain separation, which might be the biggest red flag for Harry. And this brings us to Harry’s second weakness: he needs to improve his route running. Because most NFL corners are faster than Harry, he has to gain separation by running better routes and taking advantage of leverage. With his size, he should be able to do the latter but hasn’t shown much of it in-game. That said, if his route running is improved, he has all of the tools to reach the same heights in his rookie season as a player like Michael Thomas. This is the ceiling that the Patriots are hoping Harry can hit.
The Patriots have boasted some of the best route runners in league history during the Belichick era. Three among them—Troy Brown, Deion Branch, and Julian Edelman—have been spotted helping N’Keal Harry develop as a route runner at training camp. N’Keal Harry has also seen time playing against Stephon Gilmore. Competing against the best the league has to offer should prepare him for success.
How N’Keal Harry Fits in 2019
The Patriots need a receiver to step up outside of Julian Edelman. New England lost Rob Gronkowski, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Chris Hogan in this off-season alone. Additionally, Josh Gordon has been suspended indefinitely. They seem to have a lot of faith in 2019 first round pick N’Keal Harry. Harry has the size, body control, and concentration to be great in contested catch situations. His vision and short area quickness make him elusive in the open field and excellent after the catch. However, Harry struggles to gain separation. The Patriots are hopeful that under the guidance of some of their best route runners, Harry will develop into a premier wide receiver.
