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New England Patriots: Here’s why N’Keal Harry will shine in 2020

By Max Bozicas

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 08: N'Keal Harry #15 of the New England Patriots dives for the end zone pylon during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at Gillette Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Harry was ruled out of bounds at the 3-yard line. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 08: N'Keal Harry #15 of the New England Patriots dives for the end zone pylon during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at Gillette Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Harry was ruled out of bounds at the 3-yard line. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Wide receiver N’Keal Harry is bound to improve in year two after a quiet rookie season. The success of the New England Patriots offense may depend on it.

Many New England Patriots fans are split over 2019 first-round pick, wide receiver N’Keal Harry.

Harry did not appear in the 2019 regular season until Week 11 thanks to an ankle injury. While he showed the occasional flashes of potential when he was on the field, they were few and far between.

Harry may be one of the most misunderstood players in the NFL currently. Lots of people have been quick to give up on him despite him only appearing in seven games last season. While Harry didn’t put up gaudy numbers during his shortened rookie season, it wasn’t exactly fair to expect him to.

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Missing the amount of time that N’Keal Harry did is an incredible hinderance for any rookie, but especially for a wide receiver in a New England Patriots offense that is known to be complex. Harry missed half a season of practice reps and game experience that could have been used to familiarize himself with the offense.

Going into 2020, Harry has another chance to prove himself, and barring any further bad injury luck he should become a very productive player for the Patriots. Harry has many strengths and was taken in the first round for a reason. With a full offseason to train and hopefully more availability on the practice field, Harry should be better prepared to contribute.

N’Keal Harry is a big wide receiver with an impressive catch radius and great body control. He won’t blow anyone away with his speed or route running, but he’s shown an ability to make defenders miss once he gets the ball.

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Harry could be crucial for the development of quarterback Jarrett Stidham. For young and inexperienced signal callers it is nice to have a big bodied target to rely on in a pinch. These two will need to rely on each other as they look to carve out careers for themselves.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Josh McDaniels try some new things on offense in 2020, and much of that should involve getting the ball to N’Keal Harry.

The New England  Patriots will likely try to take some pressure off of 34-year old Julian Edelman, and Harry should help with that. Even if the Patriots are ultimately not a playoff team, the development of Harry and other young players is extremely important.

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If Harry can build off of the occasional flashes he displayed last year and establish consistency, the New England Patriots offense may be fun to watch next season.

Time will tell, but it’s reasonable to expect N’Keal Harry to take a solid jump in year two.

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