The impatience with New England Patriots 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry is growing by the game. But there are 3 big reasons to still believe.
Is it time to give up on New England Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry?
Well, with each passing game the amount of people jumping on the 2019 first-round pick is a bust train is growing, however there is still reason to hope. There is still reason to believe Harry will eventually grow into the type of playmaker Bill Belichick selected in the first round.
In fact, there are three big reasons the Patriots big wide receiver can eventually grow into a factor in the New England Patriots offense beyond the 2020 NFL season.
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N’Keal Harry has the size and skill to be a factor
While wide receivers like D.K. Metcalf, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown are proving to be the best wide receiver draft class in some time, the slow start of N’Keal Harry has been scrutinized despite injuries slowing his progression his first two seasons in the NFL.
And why shouldn’t it be.
With just 36 catches for 318 yards with three touchdowns in 16 career games, Harry certainly hasn’t given the New England Patriots the pizazz the wide receivers named above has given their teams, but he wasn’t drafted for his pizazz.
N’Keal Harry is a big target who can go up and get the ball. He is more of a possession receiver with an ability to break tackles and out muscle defenders with his size and strength.
Patriots fans haven’t seen much of that due to the games he has missed, but there has been glimpses of what he can bring to the table. He just needs time to grow mentally and find his niche within the New England Patriots offense. He’s young and that’s why Cam Newton is a believer in his skillset.
"“I’m not here to judge nobody nor am I here to critique anybody,” Newton said in his press conference, via NESN. “At the same time, my faith is in whoever is in that locker room and obviously N’Keal is one of those people. Yeah, he’s young. Yeah, there are certain things that he has to get better at, but there’s also certain things I have to get better at, as well. As you grow into the player that you want to be and that you have to be, that may take longer than some people.”"
Due to where he was selected and the team’s need, the ridicule of N’Keal Harry is supported, but just 16 games in his career, it may not be quite fair to write him off just yet. Patience people, patience.
N’Keal Harry has a maturity element to his character
The New England Patriots usually target players in the draft who are smart, have high football IQ and display maturity.
When you look at N’Keal Harry, he is not the most talented player from that 2019 NFL Draft class nor has he demonstrated a high IQ on the football field as evidence by mistakes in the last two games, but he seems to have the maturity to learn from his current woes.
While fans are caught up in what Bill Belichick and the Patriots could’ve had if they drafted D.K. Metcalf or even a player in the later rounds like Terry McLaurin or Andy Isabella, Harry is not worried about what those other players are doing. He is just focused on his own growth path.
Demoted to the No. 3 receiver on the depth chart, fellow wide receiver Jakobi Meyers says he has witnessed nothing but a professional attitude in Harry even as the criticism grows and actual snaps on the field decreases.
"“N’Keal’s my dawg, but at the same time, he’s a professional,” Meyers said Wednesday, as transcribed by Yahoo! Sports. “He understands that he can either handle it two ways. Either he can pout about it and be in a situation that nobody wants him to be in, honestly, or he can keep doing what he’s doing, come out here, keep practicing well and doing his thing every day showing up. Keep showing that he’ll be reliable whenever his chance is called or whenever the team needs him.”"
That professionalism will go a long way in his development on the field. All he needs is more games like his Week 2 production against the Seattle Seahawks to really put it all together.
While he may not be the athlete D.K. Metcalf is, if N’Keal Harry simply reaches his potential as an Anquan Boldin type, New England Patriots fans would certainly take that. And though most of those fans are ready to give up on the Arizona State product, the most important thing is he is not giving up on himself.
Patience is key with N’Keal Harry
The top reason N’Keal Harry can still shine with the New England Patriots is that one thing the current offense doesn’t have time for and that is patience.
Yes, patience.
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Whether its first-round picks in the NFL, Major League Baseball prospects, NBA lottery picks or NHL young talent, it may take time for players to develop depending on what system they are drafted into.
When it comes to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, it usually does take a little time for talent to meet their full potential. With the exception of players like Deion Branch, Rob Gronkowski and Sony Michel in his rookie season, it could take time for players to find their niche offensively.
That is surely the hope with N’Keal Harry and there is one player currently on the team who is proof of that. His name is Julian Edelman.
Although Edelman was a later round pick who was drafted with less expectations obviously than Harry, he still had to develop into what he became. But Edelman had great players like Wes Welker and Randy Moss to learn from. He also had a great quarterback in Tom Brady throwing him the ball through most of this career.
So, it may take the Patriots bringing in another veteran wide receiver to help Harry grow. But it will also take a lot of patience and putting him in positions that best utilize his talent and potential.
He is in the right organization for that. As long as his physical health holds up, he will eventually find his role within the New England Patriots offense. It just may turn out to be different than most would expect from a first-round talent at the wide receiver position.