N’Keal Harry is one of the most explosive wide receivers in this year’s NFL Draft and the New England Patriots brought him in with the No. 32 pick. He was the second wide receiver to get drafted, and will provide Tom Brady with a much-needed deep threat.
Here are five things that Patriots fans should know about Harry.
1. He’s the first WR that Bill Belichick drafted in the first round
Belichick does not have a history of drafting wide receivers in the first round, so Harry must’ve stood out among a hefty list of potential receivers since 2000. Of course, the Patriots have a dire need for receivers — but they have before and never pulled the trigger in the first round.
Chad Jackson was the highest drafted receiver in the Belichick era and he was drafted with the No. 36 pick. Julian Edelman and Deion Branch are the only two receivers that Belichick drafted since 2000 that surpassed 15 receiving touchdowns with the team.
Harry is the first player to change this trend around and will have a lot to prove with New England.
2. He makes an emphasis on blocking
One thing that separates the Patriots from most teams is their emphasis on being an all around player. All the receivers and tight ends are expected to block, as well as catch the ball and make plays. This is something that Harry excels at, and he put an emphasis on it at Arizona State last year.
“It’s really a mindset,” Harry told reporters in 2018. “In high school I used to love blocking. I faded away from that my first two years here and I’m really starting to find my love for blocking again.”
This will go a long way in the Patriots’ offensive scheme, especially with his 6-foot-3, 228 pound frame. The Draft Network noted his size and ability to be a solid blocker in the NFL.
Frame is overwhelming for boundary corners to work around and challenge the ball. Has the length and punch to win control of defensive backs in the secondary. Moves feet well to mirror and slide against defenders to frame blocks.
3. Harry was used as a punt returner for two seasons in college
The Patriots want to utilize their players in every way possible, and Harry is a guy that could potentially field some punts. He was not the primary punt returner at Arizona State, but he did total five punt returns in 2017 and nine punt returns in 2018.
His blazing speed and elusiveness should be enough to earn him an opportunity as a special teams guy. He was even named the the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week, after this 92-yard punt return.
4. He loves back-shoulder catches and 50-50 balls
Harry will get along just fine with his new quarterback. With his physical frame and his 38.5 inch vertical jump — Harry is very capable of making contested catches. He was described as a ‘back-shoulder boss’ by NFL.com for a reason.
Back-shoulder boss who thrives with contested catch opportunities outside the numbers but lacks explosive traits. Harry’s ability to body-up opponents and win with ball skills is undeniable, but his inability to find a threatening top gear or shake loose from tight man coverage must be accounted for within his new employer’s scheme.
Brady hasn’t had many reliable receivers to throw back-shoulder passes to outside of Rob Gronkowski in recent years. Josh Gordon was capable of making those catches, but he’s a huge question mark when it comes to availability. One player that comes to mind with back-shoulder catches is Malcom Mitchell — who had six catches for 70 yards in Super Bowl LI.
Harry should be able to surpass Mitchell as a receiver pretty quickly, while becoming Brady’s go-to guy for contested catches.
