N’Keal Harry barely played on Thursday night during the New England Patriots’ 31-3 win over the Detroit Lions. But when he was on the field, he made quite the impression with two receptions for 36 yards.
Harry, who the Patriots drafted in the first-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, continued to do what drew scouts eyes in college. He made acrobatic grabs and flashed his freakish athleticism.
On his first reception, he ran a stop-route that was anything but simple. The Lions defensive back, Mike Ford, was extremely physical. As Harry broke away from Ford near the first-down line, Brian Hoyer fired the ball off target, so Harry dove for the ball and completed the catch.
The second catch was another back-shoulder grab, but Harry had to elevate and manage the sideline while securing the ball. Harry out-jumped his defender and plucked the ball out of the air. However, he seemed to suffer an injury on the play and didn’t return to the game. If there was any reassuring news about his departure, it was that he stayed on the sideline, rather than heading to the locker room for further treatment. Harry has been dealing with a hamstring issue during training camp.
N’Keal. Harry. All. Day. Long. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/aKRanxHRlu
— Casey Baker – New Account
(@_CaseyBaker) August 9, 2019
Harry’s sample size wasn’t particular big on Thursday night. But it was strong. Surely, the Patriots are eager to continue to get him involved, even with surprisingly strong competition from Jakobi Meyers, who has earned more time with the first team than Harry. They will likely continue to compete for a spot in the starting unit. So long as Harry gets healthy, he’ll be in the mix.
