The Patriots had never selected a wide receiver in the first round under Bill Belichick, so even though it was obvious before the 2019 NFL Draft that New England needed to surround Tom Brady with more weapons for the upcoming season, there still was some question as to whether the team would address one of its most glaring deficiencies with its first selection at No. 32 overall.
But sure enough, Belichick bucked his longstanding trend, making Arizona State standout N’Keal Harry the first wide receiver picked in the first round by the Patriots since Terry Glenn in 1996.
So, why now?
Well, former NFL coach Tony Dungy, who now works as an analyst for NBC Sports, has a theory, which he explained this week on “The Michael Holley Podcast.”
“I think that speaks a little bit to the game, the way it’s going,” Dungy told Holley. “Receivers can make such a difference now. The rules are tailored to the passing game.
“I think you see Bill Belichick saying, ‘Tom Brady’s coming down. We don’t know when the end is gonna be, but I’m not gonna have Tom forever. So, let me make sure I get some weapons for him, and let’s get somebody who can stretch the field and make some things happen in the passing game.’ I think you’re seeing a little bit of a shift in ‘Let’s make sure we’ve got Tom enough to work with.’ ”
The selection of Harry marked the second year in a row the Patriots added a skill player with their first pick, as Belichick drafted running back Sony Michel with the final choice of Round 1 in 2018. New England also drafted Alabama running back Damien Harris in the third round on draft weekend.
Cleary, the organization is making a concerted effort to add playmakers for what could be Brady’s final seasons — or so we think — as New England’s starting quarterback. And it’s hard to argue with that approach as the Patriots come off their sixth Super Bowl win of the Brady-Belichick era.
