New England Patriots: 3 losers from first preseason game
New England Patriots loser No. 2: N’Keal Harry
Fresh off one of the more impressive training camps this season, N’Keal Harry had certainly raised expectations for himself heading into this first preseason contest. That’s why it was disappointing to see him log just one catch for a meager four yards.
This all goes without saying that Harry logged 36 snaps on the night, which was the fourth highest on the offense and most for a non-lineman. It’s not as if Harry wasn’t on the field much, because he was. It’s just that once again, he failed to live up to expectations.
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Admittedly, the stakes were relatively low here considering it’s just a preseason game. But even after a successful training camp, it feels like nothing has changed in regards to Harry. His official trade request a few months back painted the picture of a wide receiver who believes he hasn’t been given a fair shot, but he continually goes out and posts duds like he did on Thursday.
On the other hand, we have Kristian Wilkerson who led all receivers with six catches for 39 yards. He did drop a beautiful pass from Mac Jones, but he did a great job of getting himself open, and seemingly made himself Jones’ go to guy.
Harry and Wilkerson had two of the more impressive training camps, but after preseason game number one, it’s clear Wilkerson should be ahead of Harry on the depth chart at this point. His numbers weren’t huge, but it’s preseason. His ability to make himself available for whoever was under center is what mattered, and where he exceled, Harry failed.
There’s still time for Harry to make up some ground here, but another performance or two like this will end with him walking out the exit door. Harry has shown the potential to breakout this upcoming season, but he needs to translate it to game success. Until then, he will walk away from this game with his stock trending in the wrong direction.