The New England Patriots have been receiving praise for their 2019 draft class, being ranked amongst the top classes in the NFL by experts like Mel Kiper.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss shared his thoughts on the class and current state of the Patriots but reached out to former New England linebacker Tedy Bruschi about one pick in particular.
For the first time in the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots selected a wide receiver with their first-round pick. N’Keal Harry out of Arizona State represents a valuable weapon who Tom Brady will likely use quite often if the rookie can fit into New England’s system.
Bruschi, an analyst with ESPN, noted that the Patriots’ acquisition of Josh Gordon could have had something to do with New England selected the Arizona State product.
“They get him last year, put a 6-3, 225-pound target out there and see what a great piece it was for them, how great it was for Tom Brady,” Bruschi theorized. “Maybe that changed the perception of what they might need.
“I think Bill’s always gone with trends and where the league is going,” he said. “To have a big wide receiver, for possibly shots down the field off play-action; if they decide they still want to be a power-running team, this is a guy that can do it for you.”
Bruschi makes an interesting point.
Time will tell if Harry makes a Gordon-like impact on the Patriots offense.
