New England Patriots: Tom Brady gets an absolute beast in N’Keal Harry

With the No. 32 pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots got Tom Brady a big outside weapon by selecting Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry.

What is one of the ways the New England Patriots can replace the physical void left by big tight end Rob Gronkowski?  Draft a receiver on the outside who gives Tom Brady a big, physical target who can bail him out on jump balls.

The defending Super Bowl champs did exactly that on Thursday night by selection Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry with the No. 32 pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Ranked as the 37th-best draft prospect entering the draft, Harry wasn’t the most talked about possibility at No. 32, but after tight ends T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant came off the board, the Patriots went with a player they felt can add some size and athleticism to the team as a playmaker.

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The 6-foot-2, 228-pound N’Keal Harry did visit the Patriots, so they must like what they see in him as a player and as a wide receiver who will fit into the system with both his athletic ability and his football IQ.

Coming off a college career in which he produced two consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, Harry represents the best wide receiver prospect the Patriots have drafted since Terry Glenn back in the Bill Parcells days.

So there is a something about the kid that inspired Bill Belichick to take him at the end of the first round.

And then there is this:

Here’s what NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said about N’Keal Harry prior to the draft:

"“Harry is a big, physical wideout with strong hands and run-after-the-catch talent.  He isn’t sudden in his release, but he powers through press coverage and he’s adept at using his big frame to wall off defenders underneath and down the field.  He wins a lot of 50/50 balls and has a special ability to adjust down the field.”"

That is exactly the type of receiver Tom Brady needs at his age.  He is simply not going to air it out at the age of 42, so having a player like Harry who can give him the back-shoulder option, find ways to get open in press coverage and rack up YAC (yards after the catch) will be beneficial.

Overall, this is definitely a pick New England Patriots fans should be excited about.  Not only does he add size and depth to the receiving group, he gives Brady a weapon he has been missing.  Above all else, N’Keal Harry is a route runner who has the ability to shine in the Patriots’ system and should also benefit from working with veterans Julian Edelman and Demaryius Thomas.

Also, with the possibility of Josh Gordon being reinstated, the Patriots would suddenly have some nice depth at the position, a position they can still add to in Day 2 or Day 3 of the draft with receiver prospects like D.K. Metcalf, Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Andy Isabella and Hunter Renfrow still out there.