N’Keal Appeal: Has Harry Done Enough to Earn a Patriots Roster Spot?

The Patriots 2019 first-round draft choice continues perform well in practice. Will he find similar success in a game setting?

Having completed two days of joint practices with the Philadelphia Eagles in the City of Brotherly Love, New England Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry continues to impress on the practice fields. The 23-year-old’s performance has been widely praised, throughout much of training camp. He has looked sharp, strong and engaged, despite being just under two months removed from his agent having requested that the former first-rounder be traded away from New England.

On the surface, it would appear that Harry has worked his way back into the good graces of head coach Bill Belichick, the Pats’ coaching staff, his teammates and the fan base.

However, looks can be deceiving. After all, performing well in practice is merely a step towards the ultimate goal.

The question is: Can N’Keal Harry do it when it counts?

When the Patriots chose Harry with the 32nd selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, the team was hoping it had found exactly what it needed most. The Arizona State product was touted as a big-bodied receiver, capable of making athletic, contested catches in tough situations. As such, New England had seemingly procured the services of a key component of their offense for many years to come. 

Unfortunately, Harry’s first two seasons in Foxboro have not exactly gone according to plan. He played only seven games in his rookie campaign, missing the first few weeks of the 2019 season with an ankle injury. In 2020, he caught 33 passes on 55 targets for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Harry suffered a concussion during a Week Seven matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, which caused him to miss the next two weeks. While that may help to partially explain his lack of production, Harry seldom looked truly comfortable in the Patriots offense. There were times where he made some brilliant catches, flashing some of the skill that likely made him a first-round target for the Patriots in 2019. More often than not, however, he was a minimal factor in the Pats offense.

While many expected Harry’s days in a Patriots uniform to be numbered, he has been one of the more intriguing players in training camp. Though few would question his ability to make catches in tight coverage, Harry has been running his routes with more precision. As a result, he finds himself in better positioning to make plays. Specifically, Harry has been finding greater separation at the top of his routes, making him a tougher matchup in one-on-one situations. For the duration of his time in a Patriots uniform, achieving separation from his opponent has been a problem for him. While New England lined him up on the perimeter for the majority of his snaps as a rookie, they moved him inside more often than not in 2020. At his best, Harry has the frame to work as both a red zone and perimeter target, moving between the X- and Z-receiver roles. He has been quite effective in these spots in camp, thus far. He has developed quite a connection with quarterbacks Cam Newton and Mac Jones. In short, Harry has looked content to be a New England Patriot.

Despite the promise he has shown in camp practices, Harry has yet to translate that success into a game setting. During last week’s preseason opener against Washington, he was targeted only once in the 36 snaps he took in the team’s offense. Harry would finish the game with one catch for four yards. For all of the comfort he has had during organized team drills, he often struggled to get open last Thursday. Needless to say, regular output of the same kind will do little to convince the Patriots brass that Harry is up to the challenge.

With receivers Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers expected to play significant roles in the Patriots passing game this season, Harry is expected to find a more specialized role in the Patriots offense. Of course, that is assuming he earns a roster spot. To do so, he will have to prove that he can operate outside his comfort zone. At 6-foot-4, 225-pounds, Harry’s size and strength could make him an effective weapon in short yardage situations, in both receiver and tight end packages. At present, the Pats are thin at the tight end position. Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith and Matt LaCosse are nursing injuries; leaving Devin Asiasi as the lone healthy tight end available for Thursday’s preseason game against the Eagles. If Harry does align in such sets on Thursday, his versatility might be an asset that makes him invaluable in New England.

While the start of the 2021 regular season is fast approaching, N’Keal Harry still has time to put an exclamation mark on his case for a spot on the Patriots roster. As his camp performances have shows, the talent is clearly there. Still, he needs to display that talent on the stage that matters most. If he does, Harry will be an effective contributor to the Patriots in the upcoming season. Should he continue to have similar difficulties, however, things could get intriguing in Foxboro in the coming days and weeks.