The New England Patriots swung for the fences Thursday night, but it’s no guarantee they hit a home run.
The Patriots went against their norm when they selected wide receiver N’Keal Harry with the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Wide receiver arguably was New England’s most pressing need heading into the draft, and in turn, Harry became the first wideout ever taken by the Patriots in the first round in the Bill Belichick era.
Shortly after the first round wrapped up, ESPN analyzed each pick by assessing why the team selected the player as well as suggesting a potential question mark. For Harry, he’ll strive to curb a trend among highly drafted WRs in New England.
“The Patriots’ history selecting wide receivers early in the draft has more misses than hits,” Mike Reiss wrote. “While Harry is a big-sized receiver, he had only one red-zone touchdown reception on 10 targets last season. And one thing to watch in the NFL is if Harry can consistently create separation.”
Luckily for Harry, creating separation isn’t as critical as it is for others at his position. At 6-foot-3 with above-average bounce, the Arizona State product has the ability to attack the football at its high point. And as evidenced by some of the catches he made in college, he’ll often get his hands on the ball as long as it’s in his vicinity. Not to mention, finding your form in the NFL is made a lot easier when Tom Brady is throwing you the football.
So while it will be up to Harry to make a name for himself in the league, he was thrust into a great opportunity to succeed.
